To Escape Oblivion
by Vixdad
Summary: "I'm free," The girl wheezed. She could hardly recognize the sound of her own voice. How long had it been since she last heard herself speak? How long since she was trapped in that horrible place?) Terra freeing herself from her petrifaction brought terrible repercussions, new enemy's, old emotions, and worst of all, a jealous Raven.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: this chapter was betaed by Necronom Hezberek Mortix, thanks**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

_She was free._ It was the only thing the young girl could think as she lay in the fetal position, gasping for breath. They said it would work. That they could bring her back. she had laughed at them of course, thought she was finally losing her mind, her sanity, the only thing she had left, but here she was, and it was all thanks to them, the voices in the mist. "I'm free," The girl wheezed. She could hardly recognize the sound of her own voice. How long had it been since she last heard herself speak? How long had it been since she was trapped in that horrible place? She shuddered at the memories. The girl assessed her surroundings as she tried to stand, dust and stone falling off her skin, only to find herself in a dark cave. Sore and confused she searched for anything that could explain where she was, only to find a gleam in the darkness. Walking shakily toward it she discovered a plaque imbedded in stone. "TERRA, a Teen Titan. A True Friend," she read out loud. The memories all came flooding back. The Titans, her betrayal, Slade, even her death. It all came rushing back at once in a flash of blinding pain. But one collection of memories stood apart from all the rest. "Beast Boy," she whispered. Even after everything she did he still tried to be her friend. He was the only one who never stopped believing there was good in her. She smiled at the memories of their date at the carnival. Things will be different this time, she promised herself, a new look of determination crossing her face. The voices had done more than give her a second chance at life, they had her given power, knowledge, but most importantly they had given her hope. Terra lifted her hand and watched it glow dark red. She marveled at the eerie color surrounding her hand, gone was the earthy yellow that once held its place. The voices taught her many new abilities, and she intended to use them. "I won't let anything stop us from being together this time," Terra swore as the glow engulfed the rest of her body in a flash, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in her wake….

"Worst villain ever," Raven drawled in her usual monotone voice. The Titans had just gotten back from fighting their overweight self-proclaimed "arch-nemesis", also known as Control Freak, who, for some psychotic reason, felt the need to trash entire movie theaters grand opening of Warp Trek 7, all because the cardboard cut out of commander Wolx was sky blue and not light blue.

"You just don't like him because he likes to send all the wicked scary cutouts after you," Beast boy snickered. This earned him a trip into the ocean, courtesy of said purple haired witch, and caused a joyous giggle to erupt form Starfire, who was watching her friend's conversation.

"He's got good taste in movies though, I'll give him that," Cyborg said, as he was punching in the security code to enter Titans Tower. "Hold up gang, security records are saying someone entered the tower while we were out."

"Any way to tell who it was?" Robin asked.

"Naw sorry Rob, looks like were going in blind," Cyborg warned.

Robin immediately shifted into his role as leader "Ok team, everyone stick together, this guy could be dangerous. Cyborg, keep trying to get video of the intruder, Raven and Starfire, stay ready, and Beast Boy I want you to- BEAST BOY!" Robin yelled after realizing Beast Boy wasn't back yet.

"WHAT DUDE?" Beast Boy yelled back, now finally rejoining the group after his abrupt but well deserved launch into the ocean."And by the way, thanks for checking to see if I was ok guys, really shows how much you care," Beast Boy continued as he gave his group a grumpy stare while seeming to dump three gallons of water and seven different aquatic life forms out of his ears.

"Beast Boy I need you to get serious, there's someone in the tower and I need you to change into something small so you can scout ahead," ordered Robin.

Beast Boy, completely forgetting his waterlogged state at the chance to prove himself useful, shouted, "Oh yea, you can count on me!" He shifted into a large rat and charged into the entrance of the tower with his fellow Titans in tow. All was quiet as the Titans crept through the many corridors of the tower. With both girls flying and Robin's many years of stealth instilled by Batman, the only sounds that could be heard was the pitter patter of rat claws and the beeps of Cyborg trying to get video of the intruder.

"Robin, I got something." Cyborg reported. "There's movement in sector 39."

"The kitchen?" Robin asked incredulously.

"Guess he got hungry waiting for us," raven remarked sarcastically

"Man if that dude touched my turkey he's dead meat." Cyborg threatened while arming his sonic cannon.

Beast Boy shifted back to his human form shouting, "Dude! My tofu!", and dashed off as cheetah.

"Beast Boy, wait for us!" shouted Raven. But seeing him long gone was left muttering a soft annoyed "idiot"

"Come on guys, let's make sure he doesn't end up an actual grass stain," chuckled Cyborg as he started to chase after the green changeling, the rest of the team following shortly after.

Raven seethed as she flew through the many hallways leading to the kitchen/living area. If that little green moron got hurt rushing off to fight an unknown intruder alone all because he thinks someone's actually going to touch that disgusting tofu, she was going to kill him, she silently promised herself. "_I mean sure he was annoying but he was her annoyance,_" blushing slightly at the thought, she flew faster, finally seeing that green color she's become so used to.

Beast boy dashed through the halls as fast as his current body could allow, sure he yelled out something stupid like ''tofu" but he just couldn't wait to get to the kitchen to beet up the bad guy and save the day. He was tired of being everyone's comic relief. "_I mean sure I might not be as strong as Starfire, or as smart as Cyborg, or as tactical as Robin, or as focused as Raven… where was I going with this_?" Beast Boy thought to himself. With each team mate his ears drooped more and more in depression. "_Oh yea, just because I don't have any of that doesn't mean that I can't be just as strong_." Beast Boy smirked at the thought of being the hero for once "Beast Boy, that was amazing!" fantasy Robin would exclaim. "I think you should lead our mission from now on," he finished before bowing.

"Totally dude you were awesome!" yelled fantasy Cyborg. "Booyah!"

"Truly, friend Beast Boy, it was most magnificent! I have never seen such a display of earth manliness and power!" fantasy Starfire continued with hearts in her eyes.

"Oh Beast Boy," fantasy Raven cooed as she put her arms around his neck, "I've always thought your jokes were hilarious," she admitted as she pulled his face closer and closer to hers, until he finally felt her warm breath on his lips…

BLAM! Beast Boy flew right into the wall lost in his dreams. "Cruuud" Beast Boy groaned as he shifted back. "Ok maybe that last one isn't very plausible, but the rest is totally going to happen when they see how bad I beet this guys butt." He swore to himself. Dusting himself off, he noticed he'd run right into the door leading to where the intruder was hiding. "Ok Beast Boy, get ready to shine," he said smugly. Comically rolling up his sleeves as he strolled into the living room, Beast Boy announced, "Prepare yourself, evil do-…er…" Beast Boy finished in shock. "Terra?"

**I hope you guys liked the first chapter.**

**Please review**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: this chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

Sunlight. It always seems to bring the best out of people. When it's a sunny day, you just can't help but feel happy. That's why Terra loved it so much. Imagine the joy she felt when Terra traveled from an underground volcanic cavern to a sunny park filled with happy smiles and families. Terra looked all around her in awe. It was almost overwhelming. She closed her eyes and focused on all the sensations running through her, the warmth of the sun on her face, the feeling of the breeze in her hair, the smell of grass and BBQ all around her, and the sound of… nothing. So enraptured in her own thoughts Terra had failed to notice what her arrival had done to the parks once joyous mood. As she opened her eyes to investigate the silence, she found the entire park staring at her in fear. Parents shielding their children from her, dogs growling, eyes glaring from all directions, even entire groups of people running like she was some kind of monster. Terra stood alone, confused, until understanding finally dawned on her. She looked down to see her Slade uniform staring back at her. In a panic, she tried to cover the notorious S emblem by crossing her arms over her chest, as if that could make people forget the horrible things she had done to their city. "I'm not going to hurt any of you!" she promised, trying to calm the people down. But all it did was aggravate the situation; children quaked at the sound of her raised voice, and the adults' glares turned even colder at her failed attempt at peace. The people of Jump City were no strangers to the lies of villains, and they weren't about to trust them now. Seeing there was no hope of apologizing, Terra took only option she had left: she ran.

With her eyes shut tight, and her upper body hidden, Terra ran as fast as he could. Only one thought persisted in her mind: _Get to Titans Tower._ But as Terra continued to run, she began to doubt her choice. _What if the Titans react the same way_? She wondered worriedly. "After everything I did, there's no way they'd ever take me back," she realized, as every punch, kick, and earth attack she'd ever used against them flashed through her mind. At this point, Terra slowed her pace. Looking around, Terra realized she had somehow ended up right in the middle of Jump City, hundreds of people around her, simply going about their daily lives. Without the flash of red energy to announce her presence, people barely seemed to notice her. Preferring it this way, Terra shifted her long yellow hair around her face and kept her hands around her emblem as she tried to keep a low profile. People still gave her an odd look every now and then, but none ever gasped in fear or anger. Satisfied, she kept on walking; wracking her brain for a way to apologize to the Titans for all the pain shed caused them. _I guess I should start with apologizing to Cyborgs for destroying his car _Terra thought worriedly, _or for blasting Starfire of a cliff, or maybe for trying to smash Robins head in, _she grimaced at the memory,_ or for…maybe...oh gezz _Terra let her thought drift into nothingness as she realized how many shed hurt in her apprenticeship to Slade. Finding no way to redeem herself, Terra decided to sulk for a bit and found a bench in the shade to rest. Looking around, she took notice how different the city looked since the last time she had seen it. Of course, she had been laying siege to it then, but still, it was clear that in her absence the Titans had been doing a fine job of protecting the city. Remembering how the city appeared under Slade's control, she shivered at how similar it was to where she was trapped, the barren emptiness, the endless fog, the hopeless crushing depression. Terra shook her head to clear those thoughts from her mind. "I'm free now", she told herself, "and I'm never going back," she nearly growled. Remembering her time in the fog strengthened her resolve. "Even if they don't forgive me, I have to see Beast Boy again," she said aloud. The people around her looked at her oddly, but before they could get a good enough look to recognize her, she was gone and had already begun to run, this time with an unwavering will.

As Terra arrived at the beach, her eyes were immediately drawn to Titans Tower. The giant T still stood tall and proud as ever, a symbol of power and justice for all of the city's people to enjoy, and its villains to fear. Activating her original powers, she gathered the rock and sand under her until she had a decent platform to stand on and maneuvered over the water towards the tower. On her dash over she had done nothing but contemplate what she would say to the Titans, nothing ever seemed good enough, and she knew it probably wouldn't be but she was going to do her best. Making it to the other side, she boldly walked up to the entrance, took a moment to prepare herself, and pressed the intercom. "Hi guys it's me, Terra" she started shyly "I guess you guys are kind of surprised I'm not dead, maybe even disappointed, but don't worry I'm not like a ghost or anything haha," she tried a pathetic laugh only to hear silence on the other end. "Look I know I've hurt you all and I know I can never even begin to make up for all the pain I've caused but if he's willing, id like to see Beast Boy…no I need to see Beast Boy…" Terra declared. Seconds ticked by like hours, to afraid to look her friends in the face terra had chosen to stare at her feet instead of the monitor. Not able to handle the silence she dared a peek at the monitor to see how they were reacting to her presence. It's not everyday a friend turned traitor comes back from the dead after all. To her surprise, the monitor showed an empty corridor. Suddenly, a tiny animated Starfire appeared on the screen.

"Hello friend," the animated Starfire said. "The Teen Titans are not at home right now, we may be out eating the pizza or protecting our city. Please come back at another time so we may enjoy your company," she gave a child-like giggle, and the screen went dark.

Terra stared at the monitor in disappointment. _Now what_…she thought to herself. Looking around, she saw the front door's keypad. "They've had to have changed it by now," she said as she punched in the code given to her when she first joined the Titans.

"Welcome, Teen Titan," a computerized voice said as the front door opened

Cyborg's losing his touch," she said as she entered the tower. _The Tower hasn't changed at all…_ As Terra walked through the dark halls of Titans Tower, she couldn't help reminiscing all the good times she shared. Whenever a particularly strong memory surfaced, a ghost of her and the others, she walked in a daze, completely unaware of her direction. She tried to enjoy, what could be, her last moments in one of the only places she could call home. Terra wandered about like this until she found herself in front of a very familiar door. She reached out with a shaking hand, almost afraid of what was on the other side. Steeling herself, she opened the door. She stepped inside, nearly collapsing at what she was seeing. The room, _her_ room, it was exactly how she left it. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took it all in. The mountain range wall paper, the star filled ceiling, even her dresser filled with her clothes. The Titans had left it all exactly how it was before she betrayed them, almost as if they were just waiting for her to come back. Terra's body trembled with emotion as she tried to sort her feelings. Terra was used to never having home, and when she joined the Titans she knew from the beginning that she was going to betray them, but when they had given her this room she felt like she truly belonged. As she walked further into her room her Terra's eyes were shocked at what they saw, it was a broken, heart-shaped box lovingly glued and taped back together lying in the middle of her bed. Tears now spilling over her checks, Terra picked up the box as hugged it to herself as gently as possible, afraid that the slightest movement would cause the beautiful gift to shatter once more. It was Beast Boys heart shaped mirror box that she had cruelly destroyed in her rage, all fixed. "Beast Boy," she whispered, "thank you." After putting the box down, and whipping away a few tears, Terra went over to her dresser to change clothes. She sighed in relief as the armor came off as easily as any other piece of clothing. Slipping on her yellow shorts and black long sleeve belly shirt, Terra glared down at the technological nightmare Slade had tricked her into and watched with joy as she raised her hands, alight with red power. Her former armor became engulfed in the red. Slowly but surely, the armor started to harden and darken until finally, there was only a clump of stone. Raising her foot, Terra took one last look at her emblem, and crushed it under her foot, reducing it to sand and rubble. Terra basked in her new sense of freedom, in the closure the seemingly simple act had given her, that armor was a symbol of all her past mistakes and to be able to destroy it so wholly gave terra a feeling a peace she never knew existed. Wanting to see the rest of the Tower before the Titans got back Terra stroked her fingers over the wall of her room one last time and exited the room. Feeling hungry, Terra decided to raid the fridge, chewing on a turkey leg she found. Terra began to worry about the Titans' Whereabouts, for she had been alone for a while now. She assumed that they were still living here, but for all she knew, they could have moved to another city. There could even be a whole different team of Titans living here, and how would they react when they found her eating their food?

Suddenly regretting her decision to enter Tower, Terra's nerves started to get the better of her "Ill just come back when their home," she said, not wanting them to be even angrier with her than they already were for invading their home. Terra faced the common room getting one last look at her home, turning to leave she was startled by a certain green Titan strolling into the room.

"Prepare yourself, evil do-…er… _Terra_?" Beast Boy asked in shock.

His answer was a bone-crushing, tear-filled hug.

Raven burst through the entryway, ready to blast anything that dared threaten her friends. She had caught a glimpse of her green teammate as she rounded the corner. Just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone again, trying to fight who knows what on his own. It took her all but ten seconds to reach the doorway, but a multitude of fears arose within her mind. Raven didn't like to show it but she was always fearful for her teammates. Whenever they went into battle, she was constantly concerned about their condition. She dreaded the day one of them was hurt beyond her or Cyborg's healing. With the manifestation of evil as a father, and a mother dead, her friends were the closest things she had to a family, and she would do anything to protect them. Even the sheer thought of one of her friends fighting a dangerous opponent on his or her own concerned her. _No one fights alone._ One of Robin's most important rules. Alone, they were vulnerable, but together, they could defeat anyone. They had proven this time and time again. _It could be anyone in there…_Raven thought in panic. It could be Slade or Plasmus…It could be her father for all she knew. Knowing Beast Boy often didn't fully asses the situation, she imagined a million different scenarios of Beast Boy fried by a laser, or crushed and broken under someone's foot. Somehow, she even imagined him as the winner, proudly grinning the stupid grin she secretly loved, over whatever foe was stupid enough to try and attack them at the Tower, but she never imagined this. He wasn't giving her his stupid grin, he wasn't getting crushed under a foot, and he wasn't being fried by a laser. No, Beast Boy was being held in the arms of Terra. The former Titan everyone had perceived to be gone, and Raven had never wanted to see a laser pointed at her more in her life.

**A/N: sorry about all the Terra, ill try and give raven more screen time.**

**Please review**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: this chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

The rest of the Titans streamed into the room soon after, finding Terra and Beast Boy the same way Raven had seconds before. "Hey guys Terra's back, isn't it great," Beast boy yelled jostling everyone from there frozen shock.

"Friend Terra!" Starfire exclaimed at her. "You are no longer stone!" she cheered as she joined the pair in a bone-crushing hug.

"Uh, nice to see you too, Starfire," Terra gasped out, shocked at the warm welcome she was receiving, and due to the pressure on her lungs. Being released, Terra took a few deep breaths of air, and soon sensed a large presence behind her. Terra looked up to see Cyborg smiling down at her.

"Hey girl, you're lookin' pretty good for someone who just came back from the dead!" he said laughingly as he smacked her on the back. "I'm sorry to say the cold stony look did not suit you." Terra groaned at the force of his hand but offered him a pained smile as a reply.

"It's good to see you again, Terra," Terra turned around to see Robin speaking to her and sighed in relief at the painless handshake he was offering and returned the gesture, only to find her hand in an almost painful vise like grip. "But what are you doing in the Tower," he asked emotionlessly. Terra winced at the pressure he was forcing on her hand, not enough to bring her to her knees but more than enough to let her know he wouldn't hesitate to take her down if she was a threat.

"I came to apologize," Terra said hurriedly, looking Robin in the eyes to show her honesty. "Because of me… because of me a lot of people got hurt, you guys especially, I betrayed your trust and messed things unbelievably. I'm not stupid enough to believe you'd ever let me be a Titan again but if you could forgive me… it would mean a lot." Terra finished letting her eyes drop to the ground.

"Your right were not inviting you back to be a Titan," Robin replied turning her hand upwards and dropping something into her open palm. "Because you never stopped being one Terra." Robin finished finally let his emotionless mask fall to show his happiness at seeing her. Terra was shocked to find a Titan communicator in her palm.

"Wait, for real? You guys aren't going to throw me out?" Terra asked confused.

"Of course not, you just got here!" Beast Boy yelled, scared she was thinking of leaving. "You don't want to leave… do you?"

"Of course not," she promised looking at him like he was crazy, "but I tried to… I could have really hurt you guys," she replied, unable to verbally say she tried to kill them.

"Dude, it'll take way more than falling down a fissure in the earth to take me down," Beast Boy replied, giving her his trademark smirk.

"Yes, friend Terra you do not need to worry. We are most resilient," Starfire said as she flexed her arms, trying to reassure her friend.

"You made the right choice in the end, Terra. That's what matters to us," Robin said putting a hand on her shoulder. Terra felt a strange pressure on her hand she looked down to see Beast Boy holding her hand. _Has he been holding my hand the entire time?_ She thought blushing.

"But Terra, I have to ask," said Robin shaking her out of her embarrassed haze, "how were you able to reverse the petrifaction?" he asked in wonder. "We tried everything we could think of, but not even Raven's magic or Cyborg's technology had any effect."

Terra feigned confusion. "What petrifaction?" Terra asked. "The last thing I remember was trying to stop that volcano, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the dark trying to figure out where the heck I am," she lied _Looks like Slade's lessons in lying finally paid off, _she inwardly cringed at thinking anything positive about the super villain. Looking around and seeing the downtrodden faces of her friends, she started to get nervous. "Was I really gone that long?" she asked worriedly. She honestly had no idea how long she was in that place. All she could remember was wandering in the fog for what seemed like years until those voices found her. Now that Terra stood in front of all her friends, she observed the slight differences in there appearance since the last time she last saw them. Robin, still proudly wearing his Robin costume, had adopted more muscle mass while she was gone, Terra noticed. He wasn't close to being "ripped", but no one could dare question the power his frame held. Cyborg, still a silver and blue hunk of meat and metal, looked relatively the same if not for a few upgrades he'd undergone. Starfire seemed to have changed the most. While she still wore her favorite purple leg boots and mini skirt combo, she had changed her top to dip in a way that allowed just the barest amount of cleavage she had acquired to show. She had also altered her metal forearm protectors so that they covered her entire arm. She even seemed too had matured slightly, in appearance only of course; nothing would ever change her bright and child like personality. Her hair had gotten slightly fluffier and the little baby fat that she had, had fallen from her face giving it a more mature look, she seemed well on her way to becoming an even more beautiful young woman.

And Beast Boy, Terra smiled warmly, had barely changed at all. He was still her little green goof ball that loved to make her laugh. Beast Boy had actually managed to grow a few inches, even though Cyborg would swear it was all hair gel, and he still chose to don his purple and black doom patrol uniform. No matter how many times he would go on about changing his name and costume to something manlier he always wore his old suit proudly. The only major difference that could really be said about him was his face. His face had started to mature, losing some of its roundness giving him just a hint of the manhood he seemed so eager to reach. Terra tore her eyes away from her green friend to find the last Titan, only to find her not part of the rest of the Titans. Confused, she looked past the rest of her friends in hopes of finding Raven only to meet a pair of violet eyes that chilled her to the bone. She shivered as she saw the emotion hidden in those eyes, contrasted by the eerie calm of her ashen gray face her face. Ravens voice shook Terra awake, surprising her with her tone.

"One year," Raven replied stepping away from the wall, letting her displeasure for the blond girl clear for everyone. "And you should have stayed dead." Emphasizing her anger, a plant in the corner of the room shattered with an explosion of dark energy, and with a twirl of her cape, Raven left the room, leaving four shocked Titans and a frightened Terra.

xXx

Raven had been glaring at the blond since she had overcome her shock of seeing her. She was upset when shed found Terra in her home uninvited, and she'd been upset when not one of her friends expressed an ounce of anger at her return. What made her actually feel pure anger was the fact that since she had entered the room, Terra had not taken her hands off Beast Boy for a second. She'd found them hugging, and after what seemed like an impossible amount of time, they'd finally broken their hold of each other only to stay hand in hand. The rest of the Titans didn't really seem to care or maybe even notice, but Raven, who had opted to keep away from the happy group, focused on every inch their skin touched. It seemed to be all she could focus on, so she was surprised when her mind registered Terra's question. Raven took note of Terra's tone of voice, her nervousness clear tarring her eyes away from the conjoined hands, she found Terra looking straight at her.

She had always hated Terra's big, baby blue eyes. They looked too innocent for someone who caused so much pain, but right now they looked uncertain and… afraid. Just because Raven couldn't outwardly express her emotions, didn't mean she didn't feel them. Ravens emotions did come alive inside her, and in the moment, Raven felt satisfaction, seeing fear in Terra's eyes. Raven has always done her best to resist the call of the demon in her blood, to resist her father's influence, but right now it was practically humming in her veins; the demon in her liked seeing Terra afraid and it wanted more. Abandoning her usually calm façade, she let her emotions flow out of her, and it felt amazing. Raven could already feel her powers beginning to destabilize, but she wasn't about to stop now. "One year,'" she said answering the blond girl's question. "And you should have stayed dead." The shock and fear in Terra's eyes was exquisite to Raven. She could almost feel her demonic eyes begin to appear on her face. But the looks on her friends' faces brought her back from her demonic high, returning her rational thinking, and with it shame. Trying to escape her friend's judging eye's, she fled the room, doing her best to calm her emotions and powers before they hurt anyone.

Raven ran to her room, her only safe haven, berating herself the whole way. _How could I let myself lose control like that_? she asked herself._ As if everyone doesn't think you're scary enough as it is. _Reaching her room, Raven threw herself into meditation in an attempt to calm her haywire emotions. Using the emotion suppression techniques the monks of Azarath had taught her as a child, she was finally able to find peace and rein her powers under control. As she looked around her, she sighed. Her room was a mess to say the least books, pages and relics littered the floor around her. Rubbing her forehead, Raven began trying to clean the mess she'd made, both in and outside her room. _I'm going to have to apologize to her,_ she realized with a grimace. She didn't truly hate Terra; she had honestly given it her best to bring her back, she just hated how the stupid blond didn't seem to realize how much her wishy-washy attitude affected them all, shed come to them with promises of change and control and worm her way into there hearts only to run off when ever it fancied her with stupid excuses of insecurity and betrayal. But she knew her friends were expecting her to forgive her. With a huff, she lifted the last pile of books and set them on her shelf. The room was still a mess, but no longer looked like a small tornado had come through. Satisfied with her progress, Raven decided to lie down for a while. Her body finally getting a chance to rest, Raven felt just how drained she really was. "I'd kill for a cup of tea," she sighed wishfully. Suddenly a hearing a knock on the door, her growing headache seemed to double. Peeking out the door, she wasn't surprised to see Robin standing in the hall. He was the only one brave enough to enter her room…well he and Beast Boy, but the changeling was…preoccupied at the moment, she remembered bitterly.

"Hey Raven, can I come in?" Robin asked awkwardly, giving her a worried look. "I brought you some tea." He lifted the cup he held as if it were the password to enter her room_ Thank God, _Raven thought as she saw the cup. She nodded and opened her door wider so the Boy Wonder could come in. Robin was the only one in the Tower that had could enter her room without the threat of being sent to another dimension mostly because he was the leader but also because she could never forget everything he had done for her during her birthday fiasco. It had allowed them to grow much closer as friends and he was easily the most comfortable to be around, but never romantically of course, Raven really didn't feel like fighting Starfire to the death in some stupid Tamerianian mating challenge. As he entered her room Robin couldn't help but notice the debris scattered around her room.

"I like what you've done with the place," he remarked sarcastically, trying to lighten the dreary atmosphere surrounding them.

"Thanks. I'm trying to model it after Beast Boy's room," she replied equally sarcastically. Raven smiled slightly as she saw Robin crack a grin. He was the only one in the Tower that got her sense of humor.

"No one really drinks tea in the Tower except for you, so we weren't really sure how to make it," he said as he handed her the steaming cup. "But everyone helped, well, tried to anyways." He gave a humorless chuckle. Raven smirked as she looked down at the obviously horrible made cup of tea. She could almost imagine all her friends in the kitchen turning a simple task like making tea into huge complicated project. She took an experimental sip to test her theory. _Yep. Horrible,_ she verified, though smiling at how warm the liquid sat in her stomach. "Even Terra," Robin finished sounding irritatingly cheerful. Raven's body locked as it took every ounce of her will power not to spit all of the tea on her leader. Instead, she chose to close her eyes and gently lay the cup down on her desk.

"Thanks," Raven muttered. "That was very…thoughtful," "she said searching for the right word. Robin sighed as he saw his peace offering fail; realizing that beating around the bush wasn't going to get him anywhere. With Raven, he had to just get straight to the point.

"What happened out there, Raven?" Robin asked a concerned look on his face. "Please just tell me what made you act that way." Raven turned away unable to look him in the face. "You're not a mean person Raven, I know that, but what you said out there…was quite uncalled for." Anger filled Raven for the second time that day, but the memory of her first outburst still fresh in her mind kept her from unleashing it upon her friend. Instead, she chose to let her words voice her feelings.

"How can you all forgive her so easily after what she did?" Raven growled, turning to facing robin, her brow furled in anger. "How can you all forget the pain she caused, that she tried to kill Cyborg, that she blasted Starfire of a cliff, that she tried to crush your skull, how she destroyed Beast Boy!" As Raven talked her face had gotten closer and closer with each question until it was just inches from Robins, who had been taken all her words with the utmost calmness on his face. The anger draining away from her, her voice lowered to bearably a whisper. "How can we possibly trust her again?" Robin remained quiet as he gave her time to recollect herself, never breaking eye contact. "Our relationship with Terra is… complicated. She did betray us, but in the end, she gave her life to protect Jump city and the people in it. If that isn't what it means to be a Titan, then I don't know what is." With that, Robin turned and left the room, leaving Raven alone in the darkness.

Raven froze as she processed his words. Barely registering his absence, she walked over to her body length mirror, which had miraculously survived her power storm, and looked at her reflection.

"Look at yourself, over a year later and you're still just a creepy girl that can't face her feelings," Raven muttered to her reflection. Raven took time to look at her appearance and saw she really hadn't changed in the time Terra was last there. Still the same height, same haircut, and same costume. If someone had tried to show her a picture of when she had first joined the Titans and a picture of her now, she doubted she'd be able to tell them apart. Touching the mirror with her fingers, Raven felt guilt well up inside her. She wasn't _really_ upset with Terra about her betrayal. When they had set Terra's plaque in the cavern, they had all seemed to forgive her, and would try to find a cure, including Raven. In her initial rage at the sight of Terra, Raven had forgotten. Instead, she let her feelings get the better of her and came out looking like a monster.

_All because I couldn't admit that I was jealous_, Raven finally admitted to herself. She knew she had no right to be. She knew that she and Beast Boy had never come close to any kind of romantic situation, but that didn't stop the rage she felt whenever she saw them together, especially when she saw that stupid loves-truck face of his gazing at Terra. Raven had thought Beast Boy was hers. He was always around her. If he wasn't interrupting her reading and meditation with his horrible jokes, he was trying to invite her to one of his stupid games. She always figured he was just trying to get on her nerves, but then over time, his stupid jokes became so bad they were actually a little funny, and all his stupid games that he tried to get her to play were one of the things that made her feel accepted in the Tower. _And_ _maybe his ears are kind of cute…_she decided. Raven moved away from the mirror and into her bed for some sleep. She was happy to leave things exactly like that; _At least I thought I was_, she thought as she curled into herself. Unable to handle any more stress, Raven allowed her eyes to close for the night praying for a dreamless sleep.

xXx

Terra was having a pretty good morning considering one of her worst fears had transpired the previous night. Beast Boy had hardly left her side after Raven chewed her out; he was just as sweet as she remembered. And now she got to enjoy a wonderful breakfast with her friends and as long as she avoided Raven, she could see herself having a very adequate life. Terra sighed, somewhat content, she had originally thought that she would be considered a felon with five angry super heroes after her, but now really only had one. Raven. Her gaze lingered over to Beast Boy who was trying to cram as much tofu bacon into his mouth as possible. Terra smiled at the sight. _Definitely could have been worse_. Looking down at her plate, she grabbed her utensils as they were deadly weapons and began to tear her food. _Cyborg's waffles are definitely a bonus too. _

Halfway through her tower of waffles, she was interrupted by the sound of automatic doors opening. Terra's hands froze as the sound reached her ears. _Calm down, Terra, it's not Raven. It's not Raven. It's. Not. Raven._ Looking around she did a mental checklist in her head of everyone that was in the room.

Beast Boy, check, Robin, check, Starfire, check, Cyborg… _I hope to god Silkie learned how to open doors,_ she thought as she looked behind her, _crap._

Raven walked into the kitchen and began to prepare her tea, well aware of eyes following her. _If I'm going to do this without basting her through the window, I'm going to need some tea_, she thought to herself. Cup in hand, she turned her eyes to the table at which her friends sat. It seemed that everyone was trying to look at anything but her. Walking over, she was already dreading what she had planned. "I'd like to talk to Terra alone. Could the rest of you please leave the room?" she asked her friends, doing her best to keep her voice calm.

"Ahhhhhhh…" Robin stalled as he looked to Terra, who was attempting to signal him "No" without getting Raven's attention. "Sure," he finally replied, shooting Terra an apologetic look.

Raven waited patently, staring at Terra while the rest of her team exited the room. Looking at the door to see if they were alone, she spotted Beast Boy standing in the doorway looking worried.

"It's alright, Beast Boy, I just need to apologize," she reassured, shocking both Beast Boy and Terra. He shot her a friendly smile before leaving, not noticing the blush heed caused to appeared on her face. Making sure her face had returned to its ash gray color she turned around to face Terra who couldn't look more uncomfortable. "Please don't say anything until I'm done talking." Raven sat in the chair next to Terra, trying to think of how to begin.

"I don't like you," she said, deciding to go with blunt honesty. "You tried to kill my friends, and I can't forgive that, and won't ever be able to really trust you." Terra flinched at her words, but was surprisingly a little happy to hear them; this was the greeting she had expected to hear from the other Titans. Terra still held guilt for getting off as easily as she did. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she braced herself for the rest. "But I'm sorry for what I said to you the other night. It was uncalled for and I apologize." Raven let out a breath of relief as she finished, satisfied that the hard part was over.

"It's okay, Raven, I understand com-" Terra began to speak, but was interrupted by the stare Raven shot her that clearly said, _Did I say I was done?_

"As I was saying, I'm sorry for what I said, but I want you know what you did to Beast Boy. After you betrayed us, he moped around the Tower like a dog for weeks, and even worse after you died, we all grieved for you even me but it destroyed Beast Boy inside. It was months before we were able to cheer him up." Raven finally tore her eyes away from Terra's only to stare off into space. "He used to visit you, your statue, I mean, for hours some days, simply talking to you. He even brought you flowers a few times," she gave a dry chuckle. Turning her unwavering gaze back to Terra, all humor, or at least, what little there had been, gone. "What I'm trying to say is, Beast Boy obviously has…feelings for you even though you've done nothing but abandon him for your own selfish reasons." Raven stood from her chair to face the blond Titan, sad eyes evidently clear set in her perpetually calm face. "And so I'm asking you, please for Beast Boys sake, if you're going to leave again do it now before you really hurt him because I don't ever want to see him so hurt again, none of us do. But if you're going to stay…" Ravens sad eyes turned cold. " you need to be prepared to stick around because if you do abandon us again thinking you can just come back latter to screw with us you better think again because if you even try to step one foot in my home again ill be there waiting and I will end you, permanently this time. That's a promise. Walking away from Terra, Raven put her cup in the sink and headed for the door, but before leaving, she turned her head to look back at the girl. "And please accept my apology." She turned away and walked out the door, leaving Terra with words that shook her to the core.

**A/N: hey guys sorry this took so long I was stuck doing finals, anyway I'm gonna try to have the next one out before Christmas. I hope your enjoying the story please review **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I need to apologize I posted the wrong version of this chapter but this is the correct one and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. This chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

Beast Boy growled in frustration as he pushed his ear against the living room door unsuccessfully trying to hear what the two women on the other side were saying. _These stupid ears aren't good for anything_, he thought, annoyed. Beast Boy morphed into various animals in hopes that they would have a better chance. _Maybe an Owl. No. Wolf. nothing. An Elephant has big ears. Oh come on! _

"Dude chill, let the girls handle their business," Cyborg said, despite the fact that he was enjoying watching his friend freak out.

"Cyborg's right, Beast Boy. This is some thing they need to do and I trust that Raven isn't going to try to hurt Terr." Robin confidently reassured.

"But dudes, she's probably sent Terra to whole 'nother universe already!" the changeling exclaimed dramatically.

"Friend Raven seemed genuinely regretful for her actions. I have no doubt she is just trying to 'make the peace' with friend Terra," Starfire replied, showing unwavering trust in her friends. Beast Boy stared at his teammate, doubt clear on his face.

"You guys know how Raven is, she's never apologized for anything. She's certainly never said sorry to me," Beast Boy said sounding miffed.

"That's because you usually deserve whatever she does to you," Cyborg replied with a smirk. Hearing his words Beast Boy shot his buddy a dirty look completely unaware of the door opening behind him.

"All I'm saying is I don't trust her alone with Terra. You guys saw her last night. Raven knew Terra was vulnerable, but still went all creepy psycho on her. She even looked like she was enjoying it! Why can't Raven ever be _normal_?" Beast Boy huffed to his friends, almost all of who were looking behind him in fear. Robin shot the boy the most concerned stare he could. "Um…what are you guys looking at?" Realizing what was actually happening, Beast Boy turned to see Raven staring at him dead on, calm and cold as always, Beast Boy gulped nervously. "Hey there, Rae." After a few seconds of awkward silence, Raven turned her gaze from her secret crush to the rest of her friends.

"Thank you for letting me speak to Terra alone. I'm done now," she stated before lifting her hood to shield her face and walking past everyone to reach her room. The rest of the Titans watched her retreating form until she turned the corner. Their eyes immediately switched to a very worried looking Beast Boy.

"Ahhh, my bad?" he gave a nervous chuckle before turning into a turtle to hide in his shell.

"Beast Boy," Robin said sternly glaring at the young hero. Switching back to his normal form, Beast Boy looked at his leader sheepishly.

"I know, I know, I'll go apologize," Beast Boy said, ears drooping in regret. "Right after I check on Terra," he continued, running into the living room sounding much more chipper. The last three Titans shook their heads at his actions.

""I think I need to have a word with Beast Boy. I need to make sure this thing he has with Terra won't interfere with his performance in defending the city, its already impacting the team" Robin said sounding tired.

"And I will check on Raven. I hope Beast Boy's words did not hurt her," Starfire said worriedly. They both left in search of the person they needed to confront leaving Cyborg alone, his only worry was his next upgrade for the T-car.

xXx

Entering the room, Beast Boy found his eyes immediately drawn to the back of Terra's long blond hair. Not being able to see her face worried him. He crept up besides her, preparing for the worst.

_Ok if she's crying, I'll turn into something cute. Girls can't resist cute,_ he thought, smirking. Reaching Terra, Beast Boy racked his brain to find a way to console the girl after going through what he was sure was a terrifying ordeal. "Terra, are you ok?" he asked, worried. Not receiving a reply, Beast Boy became more frantic in his fears. "Listen, Terra, whatever she said to you, it's not true, I promise! No one blames you for what you did. I swear. Rave'ns just been in a bad mood lately, and by lately I mean since the day I met her, hahaha…" he gave a quick chuckle at his own humor. Seeing that his joke had no effect on breaking Terra's silence greatly troubled the green Titan.

_Dude, what's up? That was hilarious! That should have had her cracking up! _Beast Boy sighed. _Looks like it's time for the last resort. Terra, get ready for one cute kitty! _

Terra suddenly stood, interrupting Beast Boy's transformation. Beast boy took note of her rigged stance, her shoulders rigid and fist balled tight. Confused, Beast Boy jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Beast Boy…" Terra spoke softly, her tone emotional unrecognizable.

Beast Boy, completely unsure of how to respond stood silent and shocked as she turned around to face him. He'd never been more confused as he looked at her expression; she didn't look sad, or even scared, she just looked… empty, and this scared Beast Boy more than anything.

"Beast Boy…" she repeated, now walking towards him, reached out and pulled him into a soft embrace. Beast Boy felt his heart hammer in his rib cage as he marveled at the feeling of her hug. Sure, she hugged him yesterday, but that embrace was hard and urgent, almost like she was afraid to let him go or he'd disappear. But with this one, Beast Boy blushed as he put his arms around her thin waist; this one was nothing but warmth. He shivered as he felt her breath on his ear. "I want you to know that I'll never abandon you again, as long as you want me, I promise to stay by your side," she quietly swore to him. Beast Boy's eyes grew wide at her words; relief flooded his body, now that he knew she intended to stay, he was happy enough to jump for joy. Instead he tightened his hold of her, surprised to feel her heart beating almost as fast as his. Beast Boy looked into her eyes as she pulled back slightly to look at him her face was no longer a void. Beast Boy was happy to see her smiling, a faint blush on her cheeks matching his own. He watched as she smiled at him shyly before leaning in and brushing her lips against his holding them there for a few seconds before pulling back and giggling at his expression.

"Duuude, awesome!" he sighed wistfully, grinning like an idiot.

"That was for the flowers," she said cryptically, enjoying his confusion. He looked at her oddly, clearly not understanding her reference to his past actions when he suddenly remember his whole reason for coming to check on her.

"Hold on, what did Raven do to you? " he asked her in a panic, worries returning to his face. Terra looked at him shocked.

"Nothing…" she replied slowly, not understanding the change in atmosphere. Beast Boy looked at Terra suspiciously.

"Nothing?" he asked. "No trip through hell?" He asked, flailing his arms as a thought bubble showing a fearful Terra being thrown into a portal of flames by a demonic Raven appeared over his head.

"No…" Terra replied, confused.

"She didn't attack you with her weird creepy tentacle things?" he asked, watching his thought characters play out his fear as his arms started to wiggle mimicking tentacles.

"Nope," she shook her head chuckling at his actions.

"Not even a tiny blast of magic," he asked desperately pinching his finger close together. Terra just looked at him with an apathetic look on her face and shrugged.

"Sorry, I can go ask her to throw me off the roof if it'll make you feel better," she remarked dryly.

Beast Boy groaned as he put his head in his hands. _Dude, she didn't do anything, and…and I was a total jerk to her! Oh man, _Beast Boy realized.

"You wanna maybe tell me what's going on?" she asked crossing her arms in irritation.

Beast Boy looked back at her sheepishly, fighting the urge to distract her by turning into an actual sheep.

"Well, I kinda got a little worried about what was going on in here when it was just you and Raven and…ah, long story short, she overheard me saying some things about her, and I'm a huge jerk," he admitted, Terra looked at Beast Boy, shocked; from the way Raven sounded, she assumed that the two had grown much closer in her absence.

"She gave me a warning," she informed Beast Boy, looking into his eyes. "She warned me that if I was planning to stay then I better be ready to stick around this time… because she didn't want to see you get hurt again." Terra looked away in shame as she uttered the last part.

Beast Boy looked at the blond girl in front of him in disbelief and fear. Disbelief because he couldn't believe Raven cared enough to actually threaten someone over him, and fear because if what Terra said was true then he was the biggest jerk on the planet.

"Uuuug," Beast Boy groaned as he flopped lying onto the couch, realization of just how big he screwed up increasing by the second. _How am I gonna apologize for this one?_ His inner turmoil was interrupted by the feeling of two soft hands lifting his head, looking up he was treated to the sight of a smiling Terra as she lifting his head into her lap and the feeling of her hand running through his hair._, __Call it the beast in me, but there's something about getting petted that's just awesome, _he thought, closing his eyes in pleasure, worries but a fleeting memory.

Terra smiled as she saw her efforts to calm the panicked boy worked. "It'll be ok," she reassured him. "I'm sure she'll forgive you for whatever you said. Raven doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges," she lied, trying to enjoying the moment she was allowed to sharing with the object of her affections, a moment she wouldn't have ever hoped of having a just a few days ago… a moment that was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

The pair jumped apart from the couch as far away from each other as possible. Beast Boy began whistling a tune, trying to look innocent, and Terra suddenly found her shoes fascinating. Beast Boy stopped his whistling to look over at the intruder, only to find a smirking Robin. "Dude, how long have you been there?" he asked glaring his leader. This only caused Robin's smirk to grow.

"About 15 seconds after you got here," he replied enjoying his friend's reaction. Hey, being trained by Batman in stealth had its perks.

The boy wonder's smirk fell at Beast Boy's words into a serious grim line showing both of them that he wasn't there as their friend, but as their leader. "I need to talk to both of you," he said with authority. The two embarrassed teens sat down as an upset looking Robin stood looking down at them, his arms crossed. Terra and Beast Boy looked at each other, feeling like children about to be punished by a parent.

"I already know I need to say sorry to Raven," Beast Boy said shamefully, face full of guilt. Robin switched his attention to the glum Titan.

"Good, do that as soon as possible. I don't want to take any chances if you hurt her feelings, but ahh… that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," he said looking away with a blush. Beast Boy and Terra looked at each other in confusion.

"Then what is it?" Terra brazenly asked.

Robin reached up and scratched the back of his head, slightly uncomfortable with the situation he was forced into, but hey, no one ever said being the leader was easy. Robin coughed into his hand trying to gain back his cool domineer before answering, but couldn't exactly manage…

"Inner office relationships," he said through clenched teeth. The two teens stared at him in shock as they heard his words, frozen silent in there embarrassment. "Clearly you two are very… close and if you two are going to pursue a relationship, I just need to go over a few ground rules," Robin forced out nearly as embarrassed as the two in front of him. Seeing no interruption, he continued, "First and most important, there can be no interference in battle. If your relationship interferes with protecting the city then we are going to have a problem. Understood? The job and city come first."

Beast Boy and Terra nodded their heads.

_I bet Batman never had to deal with this crap, _Robin thought to himself bitterly. "Now if you guys are feeling… affectionate…" At this point, Robin's face had taken a slight red hue as he became unable to look at the pair in the face, "Out of courtesy to others, please take it to, ah… one of your rooms." Taking a peek, Robin was relieved to see he wasn't the only one embarrassed by the situation. N_ow for the fun part… _he thought with a shudder. "Beast Boy, come over here," he said, leading Beast Boy away from Terra.

Looking over his shoulder to make sure she was out of whispering range, he turned back to Beast Boy. "Beast Boy, I'm directing this one to you. Chances are, eventually you and Terra are going to, ah, get closer, and the last thing this team needs is a teen pregnancy…that being said um… here…" Robin said, holding out his gift. Beast Boy looked down to a… a…

"DUDE!" Beast Boy whisper loudly as not to alert the female in the room as he stared dumbstruck at his leader. Overcoming his shock, and glaring at Robin, he shoved the object as far away from his body as possible, only to have it shoved right back at him, only to be reciprocated again.

Terra watched the pair with curiosity as she looked at a red-faced Beast Boy and Robin fight. Unable see what they were fighting about from her position, Terra move closer to get a better look.

"Just take it," Robin whispered as he tried to force the object on his Friend, "I don't like this any more than you do, so hurry up."

"Tell me you don't keep these in your utility belt," Beast Boy wondered, embarrassing his leader once again.

"I don't like this any more than you do so hurry up." He ordered, choosing to ignore Beast Boy, he wanting nothing more than to be done with the conversation.

Beast Boy answered him with a glare of defiance only to squeak in surprise as he became aware of Terra's approach, finally groaning in acceptance he snatched the object from Robin's hand out of her view. Whipping around to face her, both boys looked at her eyes wide and smiled big.

"What are-," Terra asked cautiously, extremely creeped out by their expressions.

"Nothing," both boys said simultaneously, cutting her of before she could finish. Robin and Beast Boy did their best to seem casual, Robin succeeding much more than his green friend who, under Terra's questioning gaze, had begun to sweat bullets. Deciding he'd had enough embarrassment for the day, Robin decided to leave the two alone.

"Remember what I said, both of you," Robin directed the last part at Beast Boy, "and, ah, congratulations," he said to them with an honest smile.

Sighing in relief, the two teens shared a look of amusement as Robin left them alone. Walking back to the couch, Terra chuckled to herself as she went over her last twenty-four hours. "I almost forgot how fun you guys are," she said smiling. Beast Boy looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"You thought that was fun," he asked incredulously. "The rest of you may be normal but your head must still be full of rock," he said jokingly, tapping her head for added effect. Laughing, Terra shoved him off of her; still smiling she turned away, eyes filled with melancholy.

"Being where I was Robin giving an awkward lecture is like a heaven," she murmured softly to herself. Beast Boy looked at her, confused.

"Where were you?" he asked, his expression full of worry over his friend's sad look.

Terra looked back at him, scared; not realizing she'd said it loud enough for him to hear.

_Stupid adorable ears_, she silently cursed. Seeing that she'd been giving him a blank wide-eyed look for the last thirty seconds, Terra scrambled for a way to distract him, spitting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Robinsaidwewereinarelationsh ip," she rushed out stupidly, wincing even after she'd said it. _Oh god, that's even worse_…

Beast Boy's cheeks burned as he worked through her gargled words. Suddenly bashful, he scooted away to put some space between them. Terra watched nervously as he fidgeted looking at her only to look back at the floor every other second.

"Ah, yeah, well, sorry about that…I mean if it upset you 'cause, well, I know Slade kinda messed up our last date, but I was kinda hoping to take you on some more, 'cause well, what I mean to say is…I don't know what that kiss meant, but… I don't mean to put you on the spot or anything, but if you do like me, it would be totally sweet if you might like to, if you'd think about…wow is it hot in here..." Beast Boy faltered in his ramblings, breathing heavily all the while reminding himself to remain calm and obviously failing horribly.

Terra watched it all, fascinated, not at all expecting this to be the outcome of her slip up. She was secretly very pleased…

_Come on, just say it,_ she begged silently blushing. She watched as he turned his gaze back to her, his eyes still shy, but they stood their ground this time, giving Terra a little hope.

A shy smile on his face, Beast Boy took a deep breath. "Would you be my girlfriend?"

Hearing Beast Boy's words, Terra's breath stopped. Terra recalled her time in the mist, a single year to everyone else, but an eternity to her. In that time, how many times had she imagined this moment? In how many different scenarios had she fantasized it happening? But it wasn't a fantasy this time…it was real.

"Ah you know what? Never mind, I think I'll just go turn into an ant for the rest of my life," Beast Boy said, mistaking Terra's silence as her answer. Looking for a quick escape, he jumped off the couch towards the door only for his momentum to be stopped by a pair of surprisingly strong arms, trapping him at his stomach.

_Here it comes_. _The 'I hope we can still be friends' talk…_ Beast Boy sighed, putting on his best smile, preparing for the inevitable.

"Nothing would make me happier," Terra sighed blissfully into Beast Boy's hair.

"It's okay, I understand, and yeah, I hope we can still be frie-, wait _what?_" Beast Boy asked in surprise, jumping around in Terra's arms to face her. Turning around, he was met with a look that could only be described as pure happiness. Terra stood silent, enjoying his blank surprised face while he processed her words.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy yelled, grinning ear to ear, finally responding. "Oh yeah, who's the man? Beast Boy! Who's got a totally awesome girlfriend? Beast Boy!" He boasted, doing his doing his own little victory dances. "Dude, this is totally awesome" he said ecstatically, scooping Terra up in his arms before pulling her into a quick kiss, surprising them both. Giving a yell, Beast Boy released his blushing girlfriend. "Ah, um, _wow_, sorry I mean, ah-," stammered Beast Boy as his sudden bout of confidence evaporated.

"Beast Boy," Terra interrupted, her face questioning and blush under control. "Do you still keep your room a mess?" she asked randomly.

"Ah, not as bad, I guess," he replied confused about the abrupt change of topic.

"Good," Terra replied, giving Beast Boy a look that drove the animal in him wild, "because your room is closer, and I'm feeling _affectionate_," she finished seductively.

_I got about a years worth of 'affection' built up, and if dying teaches you anything, it's that you can't waste any time, _Terra thought with a laugh.

Beast Boy sighed happily as his new girlfriend dragged him from the room by his arm, a trail of hearts in their wake, any recollection of apologizes or regret all but a fleeting memory

**A/N:I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: this chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out_.

This was Raven's mantra as she marched to her room for fear of collateral damage if she let her self dwell on what had just transpired. The fact that she hadn't just sent the green idiot through fifteen floors amazed Raven to no end.

_I at least should have sent him through a wall or two._

_CRASH!_

Raven heard the sound of the light bulb above her explode. She was beginning to lose control of her emotions. Raven picked up her pace, attempting to continue her mantra, only for her thoughts to be brought back to Beast Boy.

_He's telling __me__ to be normal? He's bright green!_

_CRASH! CRASH! _

_Well sorry, I'm not an emotionally unstable blue-eyed blond that tried to kill him…I bet he'd trust me then!_

_CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! __**BOOM!**_

Raven winced as the all the light bulbs in the corridor shattered, leaving her alone in the dark. Giving a sad sigh, she reached her room, grateful for the comfort and security it gave her. Lighting some incense, she began the calming task of meditating.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted, feeling everything around her fading into darkness. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" Her muscles began relaxing. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" Her mind and emotions cleared and focused. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," and finally finding her center, Raven sighed in the quiet peac- _'knock knock'._

"Friend Raven, are you there? I have come to see if you are alright," Starfire called out worriedly through the door. Raven felt her eye twitch in annoyance as the small amount of peace she had managed to acquire left her body, leaving behind the stress and anger she had been so focused on dispelling. Stomping over to her door, Raven opened it a crack to see the Tamaranean smiling happily.

"I'm fine," Raven stated, poorly shielding her anger as she glared at her friend.

"I am most glad you are unhurt," Starfire replied happily, completely undeterred by her friend's harsh eyes. "I am sure Beast Boy did not intentionally mean to be hurtful to you. I believe he was merely, as Cyborg put it, 'thinking with his second head…' She continued completely naïve to what she had just said. "What does this mean? I was unaware that humans had more than one head. Where is this second head located friend Raven, is it very unintelligent? Why would it make friend Beast Boy say mean things?" she asked looking confused and worried.

"…Why don't you ask Robin…I'm sure he would be more than happy to tell you," replied Raven awkwardly.

"Yes, you are right! Boyfriend Robin is most knowledgeable! He must have information on this second head," Starfire happily agreed, grateful to have friends to help further her earth knowledge. Hearing a distressed sigh from Raven, Starfire's worry for her friend returned. "Are you sure there is nothing that you would like to talk about? I am more than happy to listen to any worries you have," Starfire encouraged.

Raven looked at her friend actually considering telling her what was bothering her, but ultimately decided against it. As innocent and helpful Starfire could be, she was horrible at keeping secrets. _Especially when it comes too other friends…_ Raven thought grimly. "Sorry, Starfire, it isn't the kind of thing you can talk out," Raven replied, inwardly grateful for her friend's concern.

Starfire wasn't convinced. "Perhaps you would enjoy a trip to the mall of shopping to distract you from your troubles," Starfire offered as hopeful as ever.

Raven bit back her usual rejection at Starfire's invitation to the mall. Surprising herself, she found the idea almost… appealing.

_I've been stagnant too long…I can't be afraid of change, _she reasoned, _and __getting my mind off Beast Boy for a little bit sounds kinda nice._

"That actually sounds…nice…I'd like that," Raven replied, causing the alien girl's eyes to light up like stars.

"Oh, glorious!" Starfire exclaimed. "We shall enjoy ourselves immensely! I cannot wait to consume the pretzels of softness with you and enjoy the shopping for windows together, and we shall try on shoes and you shall tell me what dresses make me seem overweight and-,"

"Starfire!" Raven yelled interrupting her friend's ramblings. Starfire stopped her words to look at her friend questioningly. "Maybe we should just start with some clothes," she continued in a measured voice doing her best to keep her displeasure from showing. Starfire answered with an exited giggle and hug, both causing Raven to dread the coming ordeal.

xXx

Raven groaned in embarrassment as Starfire physically dragged her through Jump City mall. Everywhere she looked, people stared at the two of them, whispering, but that was the price of being a hero. Pulling her hood up even farther, Raven allowed her friend to lead her to who knows where.

"Might we enjoy a snack before we begin shopping?" asked an excited Starfire. Raven peeked up from her hood to see she'd been brought to the food court. More specifically, the soft pretzels stand. Finding the chance of an herbal tea stand in a mall doubtful, Raven nodded her head in confirmation, immediately feeling the Tamaranean strength jerk her forward.

The life of pretzel stand worker Mike Milton could not be described as an exciting tale. With average parents an annoying little sister and a stupid job at a pretzel stand, his life could actually be considered very, very dull. Minimum wage and a mind-numbing five hour work shift five days a week hardly seemed worth it most of the time. Some days he'd spend his whole work day just coming up with ways to tell his boss he quit, but the image of him in that sweet red convertible he dreamt of kept him going. Mike sighed longingly as he gazed at a picture of his dream car.

_Just five thousand nine hundred and ninety nine more hours until we can be together, baby_, Mike dreamed as he caressed the picture.

"Excuse me, may we have two pretzels of softness with extra mustard please?" a voice asked him. Looking up, Mike couldn't believe his luck as he saw the hot babe standing in front of him. With a killer chest, the face of an angel, and a beautiful pair of hips wrapped in a purple mini skirt, Mike had to stop himself from falling over the counter. Looking closer he briefly got the feeling that he new this girl but the sound of someone clearing their throat brought Mike back from his thorough inspection. Looking over, he was met with a pair of horrifying violet eyes. Checking the new girl out, Mike was not impressed, with the shapeless cloak and shadowed face, he couldn't even see if it was an actual girl under there. _Maybe if I'm nice to her friend, the hot one'll give me her number_.

"Comin' right up," Mike said, flashing Starfire a cheesy smile. "So what are two beautiful women like you doing today?" Mike asked, doing his best to be smooth and serve food simultaneously.

"We're at the mall. Gee what could our plans possibly be…" Raven sarcastically remarked. Mike shot her a glare for a second before pretending to laugh and play it off as a joke.

"Heh-heh, yeah, good point, sorry. I was just asking 'cause my break's in a half hour and if you girls wanna hang out, I know the manager at this awesome Chinese food place and I can totally get you guys a deal," he said smugly, as if that were actually something to brag about.

"Sorry, maybe some other time. The pretzels please," Raven replied without remorse. Mike winced as he saw the _weird_ one was going to be a problem, handing the pretzels over he relied on his last line of defense, free food.

"There you go, free of charge, if you change your minds you know where to find me," he said giving the girls a wink. Raven opened her mouth, a witty comment on the tip of her tongue, but was beaten by her companion.

"Wonderful, I too hope that we may enjoy each other's company soon, new friend," Starfire happily remarked, completely oblivions to the situation. Raven rolled her eyes but stayed silent, opting instead for leading the innocent alien away from the creepy vendor's leering eyes.

Mike sighed happily as he watched the two girls disappear into the crowd. _I hate to see her go, but I __love__ to watch her leave,_ he thought perversely, gazing at Starfire's retreating view.

_BOOM!_

Mike flailed as the hot cheese machine exploded, drenching him in its contents. Wiping the cheese from his eyes, Mike looked around franticly to see the cause of the mysterious explosion. His eyes soon met a pair of very smug and very familiar violet eyes.

Raven smiled as she walked with Starfire, who was enjoying her pretzel. She actually felt satisfied watching the sleazy pretzel vender slip around in a puddle of hot cheese._ Starfire's right, the mall is kind of fun_, she thought humorously. Now walking toe-to-toe with Starfire, no longer being yanked around the mall like a disobedient child, Raven found herself enjoying the social interaction. She learned to ignore the gaping civilians and after a quick explanation to Starfire that window shopping didn't mean shopping for windows. She found herself actually chuckling from time to time. Unfortunately as time wore on, Ravens stamina just couldn't match the years of experience Starfire had acquired shopping. Exhausted, Raven groaned as Starfire led her to yet another clothing store. "Starfire, how can you still have the energy to shop? Can't we stop?" Raven asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Starfire looked at her friend, completely unaffected by the hours of walking,

"Because I am having so much fun! I do not want this day to end!" Starfire replied happily with an aerial twirl. "Besides, we can not leave if you have not bought anything," she stated.

"Uh, Star, I think you've bought enough for the both of us." Raven gestured towards the twenty bags of miscellaneous items Starfire had acquired throughout the day.

"Then you wish to borrow clothing," Starfire asked excitedly. Raven took a minute to imagine herself in all the skirts and showy clothing she had seen Starfire buy, and repressed a shudder.

"…this is the last store," she finally conceded, causing Starfire to squeal in happiness.

"Glorious! I am most sure we will find something to your liking," Starfire assured before dashing into the store to begin the hunt. Raven watched her friend run off and followed at a much more relaxed pace. Looking through the selection, Raven cringed at all the bright colors that seemed to jump out at her. _Don't suppose they have a leotards and cape section_, she drawled in her mind.

"Friend Raven, I have returned! Look at what I have acquired!" Starfire exclaimed, holding up her findings. Raven braced herself for whatever bright pink flowery dress Starfire had managed to grab, only to be stunned at the choice her friend had made. In Starfire's hands was a simple pair of black pants and a thin wine colored sweater. Raven took the clothing into her hands, shocked at how much they appealed to her_. Subdued but not dark_, she observed. Starfire looked at her friend full of anxiety.

"I have done well?" she asked carefully. Raven looked up at her fidgeting friend, unsure how to answer.

"Its…I like it," she finally managed. Starfire's eyes screamed joy as she heard her friend's approval.

"Wonderful! You must try it on!" Starfire insisted, shoving her friend into the nearest changing room. Any protest Raven might have had was silenced by the slam of the changing room door. "I shall acquire more clothing for you to try!" Starfire yelled through the door leaving her friend alone. Raven stood in the changing room wary of her next actions, completely unaccustomed to any type of clothing not related to her powers or meditation. The monks of Azarath weren't exactly fashion friendly, as you can imagine, so leotards and capes had been all she knew her whole life. Taking a deep breath, Raven shed her crime fighting apparel and donned her new clothing. Raven looked herself over in the changing rooms mirror; the sweater fit her torso perfectly, just tight enough to show off her trim waist and generous chest but no where near tight enough to be called constricting. Looking down at her pants, Raven took note of how well they hung off her hips,_ I_ _bet this would turn Beast Boys head_, she remarked to herself, actually impressed with her appearance. The door swinging open shook her from her self-evaluation. Subconsciously shielding her body from the intruder, Raven blushed as a smiling Starfire appeared to give her more clothes.

"You look wondeful," Starfire stated truthfully as she apprised her friend, Raven blushed at her friends' words finally allowing her arms to fully drop and allow her friend to see all of her.

"Thanks," she muttered, grateful for the compliment. Thinking back on her day, Raven reasoned that maybe change wasn't such a bad thing.

"And now you must try on this!" Starfire happily added, holding up a frilly white skirt. Raven mood plummeted as she looked at the offending item in her friends' hand.

_Then again…_

"Dude, I own you!" Beast Boy yelled as his video game character preformed a finishing move on Cyborg's.

"Think again," Cyborg warned as his fingers moved inhumanly fast on his controller, making his character dodge the attack and decimate Beast Boy with an ungodly laser beam. "Boo-yah!" he exclaimed in triumph. Deciding to rub it in even more, Cyborg started a victory dance shaking his metal butt right in Beast Boy's face.

"Dude," Beast Boy yelled before morphing into a snake escaping his best friend's booty shaking, slithering over to his girlfriend's lap and changing to a kitten. Looking down, Terra rolled her eyes as her boyfriend gave out an adorable mewl. Absentmindedly giving him a scratch behind his ears, Terra returned to her music player, enjoying the time she was able to spend with him. All three Titans turned their heads as they heard the door swing open; revealing the ever vigilant Robin looking worried.

"Have any of you guys seen Raven or Starfire anywhere?" he asked, perplexed. The rest of the Titans shook their heads in response.

"Not since genius over here decided to ripe on Raven behind her back this morning," Cyborg reported, jabbing his thumb in Beast Boys direction earning a whimper of guilt.

"She didn't open her door earlier when I went to apologize…but that could be 'cause she's still ticked at me," Beast Boy admitted, shyly scratching the back of his head.

"Starfire went to make sure she was alright after the incident this morning, and I haven't seen ether of them since…Raven might be hurt worse than we thought." Robin said worriedly

"You did say you didn't trust her," said Cyborg accused.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that I totally trust Raven, I trust her with my life!" Beast Boy franticly swore.

"Maybe you should tell her that," Robin replied. "If they don't show up soon I'm going to contact Starfire on the T-com," he continued. "You guys let me know if they show up. I'm going to check Raven and Starfire's rooms again." Before his team could react the doors, once again, swung open revealing the aforementioned girls joyfully entering the room.

"What?" Raven bluntly asked, as their stares began to creep her out. The rest of Titans, excluding Starfire, continued to stare at her, observing her new look in silence until finally Robin broke free.

"Where have you guys been?" he asked, choosing to ignore Raven's new clothes.

"We have had the most _glorious_ day, Robin!" Starfire exclaimed as she flew over to her boyfriend. "Friend Raven and I have spent the day at mall of shopping enjoying each other's company immensely!" she replied, showing off her many bags of items. Robin looked at his friend in shock.

"Raven went to the mall? Willingly?" he asked wide eyed.

"Oh yes, I cannot wait to inform you of our day! We ate pretzels, and I made a new friend, but then he was covered in cheese, and then we-"

"That's great Star. Tell me all about later it, okay?" he said cutting her off. Looking over at Raven, he was surprised to see her smiling. "Well I'm glad you two had… fun," he said still rather confused, but happy for his friend's seemingly good mood. "You, ah, look good Raven," he offered honestly. Raven blushed at the compliment, suddenly wishing she had her hood to hide under.

"Thanks," she muttered.

Beast Boy panicked when he saw Raven enter the room. He immediately felt thankful that Robin had stepped forward first. Beast Boy took that time to assess just how screwed he would be.

_ Is she mad? She doesn't look mad…I mean she usually looks mad, but right now she looks… nice, I mean happy_. Beast Boy corrected himself as he tried to shake the blush that had formed on his face. Doing his best to avoid looking at her newly reviled curvaceous figure, Beast Boy tried to form an adequate apology_. Come on, think Beast Boy, think! I know there's a brain up there and I need you to get working… man that cloak really hid a lot… NO! Focus, come on! _

Beast Boy nearly cried out as Cyborg nudged him gesturing towards their friend. Understanding the hint, Beast Boy realized it was time to man up.

"Um, Raven," he started shakily. Beast Boy gulped as all eyes in the room turned to him, waiting for his apology. "I, ah, about this morning… Terra told me what you said… and it made me remember how friends are supposed to act. You always look out for me even when I'm being stupid," he continued.

"Especially when you're being stupid," Cyborg remarked earning a glare from the green changeling.

"I can't promise I'll never make you mad again, mostly 'cause its kinda fun seeing that vein on your forehead throb, but I can promise that I'm going to be a better friend. I'm unbelievably sorry for being such a jerk, and, ah, hope you can forgive me," he finished offering her a hopeful smile.

Raven listened to his apology doing her best to seem impassive and not let on how much his words earlier had affected her, but hearing his apology actually lifted her already joyful spirit. As much as Raven hated to admit it, the green goofball had a hold on her heart that gave him a kind of power over her that scared Raven to no end. Doing her best to recall the anger she had felt just hours ago, Raven stared at Beast Boy's hopeful grinning face but couldn't help but forgive him.

_This must be how he feels for Terra_, she realized ruefully. Finally breaking the awkward silence, Raven accepted his apology.

"If I stayed mad at you every time you were stupid, I would spend my life in a blind rage," she replied smiling. Beast Boy looked at her annoyed for her jab until realizing she had just forgiven him. Beast Boy sighed in relief as he no longer had to worry about if he'd hurt one of his friends. "I think I've had enough excitement for one day. I'm going to turn in early," she reported, waving goodnight to all her friends. Raven exited the room feeling a bittersweet twinge in her heart as she remembered her day. She was happy to understand Beast Boy a little more but hated that it justified his relationship with that girl. Which brought to mind the question: could she really blame Beast Boy for continuing to trust Terra even though she betrayed him, would she be just as stupid if their roles were reversed? If she were the heartbroken fool, and he the betrayer, could she really say that she wouldn't still care for him and do anything in her power to bring him back? Sighing in emotional exhaustion, Raven couldn't wait to fall into her bed and get some rest. Almost to her door, Raven winced as she heard her name being called. Looking over her shoulder she was surprised to see Beast Boy running after her. "Yes?" she asked, curious.

"Um, I need to say something else, but I couldn't say it in front of everyone," he replied suspiciously embarrassed. Raising her eyebrow, Raven wondered what he had to say that could be so secretive.

Seeing that she was listening, Beast Boy continued, "I want you to know I didn't mean it when I said I didn't trust you, I trust you more than anyone… even Terra," he admitted guiltily. "I know I get on your nerves, and you think I'm annoying, but I'm still really happy you're my friend," he finished, blushing slightly.

Raven had remained silent as she digested his words but unknowingly let a small smile appear. Seeing that his words had made his friend happy made Beast Boy ecstatic. "Well, sorry to keep you, good night," he flashed his goofy smile before making a quick escape running down the hall.

Raven stared at his retreating form, immobile. While her face and body had remained frozen at his words, Raven cursed herself as she lifted her hand to her heart to feel it pounding through her ribcage. Entering her room, Raven went to her mirror and stared into the eyes of the blushing moon-eyed teenager gazing back at her. Heart still thumping, Raven once again faced reality as she came to the answer of her previous question: if Beast Boy were the one who had betrayed them would she still be stupid enough to continue to trust him? To…to love him like he had Terra? Raven turned her eyes away from her reflection unable to stand the blush that had formed on her face as she knew her answer.

"Yes," she admitted to herself falling ever deeper into confusion and fear for what troubles these increasingly powerful emotions would bring.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the little bbrea moment I promise there will be more. Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: this chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

All Titans sat silently in their living room reflecting on the ordeal they'd just faced. Terra was sitting agitated as Beast Boy flew around her helping her pick rotten food out of her hair in the form of a green plover, Starfire sat next to her seemingly emotionless boyfriend, trying to think of a way to brighten her friend's moods but was coming up with nothing, Cyborg was shaking his head at the atmosphere and Raven, Raven was simply doing her best not to smile.

"It could have gone worse, yes," Starfire offered, silence as her only reply she settled back next to Robin and gave in to the room's gloom.

"Starfire's right," Robin stated, trying to bring up his teams morale. "Considering the circumstances, getting pelted with a little food isn't bad at all," he continued logically, earning a glare from the only one in the room that actually got hit with said food.

"How can I protect them when they hate me?" Terra asked perplexed. "The press conference you set up was supposed to let everyone know that I'm a Titan again, but they couldn't even let me say two words before they started throwing trash!" she franticly proclaimed. Remembering how helpless and vulnerable she felt when the crowd had begun to turn against her, Terra wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to comfort herself.

"The city just needs some time," Cyborg replied, putting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Once you save their butts from an evil alien overlord a few times they'll warm back up to ya, promise." Terra looked at him dubiously, but nonetheless smiled, appreciative of his words.

"He's right. Once you show them that you're here to help, they'll trust you again, I know they will," Robin assured, smiling. Terra felt her heart warm as she once again felt her friends unwavering support. Feeling a shift in the air, Terra looked behind her to see Beast Boy reverted to his human state.

"There we go, good as new," he proclaimed, smiling proudly at his work. Everyone in the room felt his or her lunch jump in their stomach at the sight of Beast Boy's teeth as it held all the junk he'd just plucked from his girlfriend hair. Swallowing the bile that had found its way her throat, Terra ignored his teeth and took an experimental sniff of her hair.

"Oh! It still smells like union rings," she grossly reported, wincing from her own stench.

"It suits you," Beast Boy hurriedly reassured. Adding to the effect, he sniffed the air, offering her a weak thumbs-up. Terra looked at him nervously, but the tears in his eyes clearly gave away his fib.

"I need to go take a shower," Terra decided. Turning towards the door, she grimaced in embarrassment as she got another involuntary whiff of her hair, or five, she decided continuing on her way out.

Watching the door close behind Terra, Robin's face went back to its passive thoughtful state. "Guys, this could be a bigger problem than it seems," he reported to his team. Not understanding what he was saying, his friends looked at him in confusion. "Heroes aren't above the law, and we aren't part of the cities or any kind of government. As much as it hurts to say, it's just a fancy word for vigilantes, and if the city decides that it doesn't need our help anymore, then we can't do anything about it…" he explained to the team.

"And you're worried Terra might turn the city against us," Cyborg reasoned, following his train of thought. Robin looked grim as he nodded his head in confirmation, shocking his green skinned friend.

"Dudes! This is Terra! We can't kick her out just because the city is a little upset. You said it yourself! They'll warm up to her, right?" Beast Boy asked franticly defended his girlfriend, fearing the direction of the conversation.

"Man, we're not saying that, don't worry. We'd never just abandon her, right Rob?" Cyborg asked, trying to calm his panicked friend. Robin looked to Beast Boy, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Right, she's a Titan, but more importantly, she's a friend, and we don't abandon friends," he stated, an audible sigh coming from his teammates. Beast Boy looked at his leader, grateful for his loyalty.

"But from what I saw at the press conference, we're on thin ice with the city, and we need to be extra carful not to make them angrier than they already are. That means we need to keep the collateral damage to a minimum, no unnecessary risks. Understood?" he asked everyone. Each person in the room understood the seriousness of his order and quietly nodded in agreement. "Good, I'm going to see how upset the people of the city really are, and if it's bad, try and calm them down. Cyborg, I might need some help, so come with me," he announced, exiting the room.

"BB, I know you're freaking out, but cheer up. I mean, who knows? Maybe the city really does just need time to cool off," Cyborg offered to his distraught friend before following Robin out the door.

"And I shall see if I might be of help to friend Terra. She seems most in the garbage," Starfire announced before she too exited the room.

Watching his ever-helpful friend leave the room, Beast Boy couldn't help but realize whom he was left alone with. After their night two weeks ago, Raven had continued to wear her new selections of clothing, changing only for missions and meditation. Beast Boy knew this fact simply because he couldn't stop staring at her. Not perversely, mind you, but only because she just looked so different that he couldn't help but let his eyes linger whenever she crossed his path. He may not be the brightest boy on the planet, but he was smart enough to know that girlfriends didn't like it when they caught their boyfriends looking at other girls innocently or not so thankfully Beast Boy never let his quick looks apparent to anyone, especially Raven, but just long enough to sate his curiosity if Raven still looked like well…Raven. Even looking at his pale friend now, Beast Boy couldn't help but steal a glance at her choice of clothing for that day, a loose blue striped top and a pair of black pants that would go completely unnoticed on anyone else, but on Raven drew his attention like only a new game station could.

"What," Raven asked as she saw him looking at her with a dumber than usual look on his face.

"Just still getting used to the new look I guess," he replied, blushing, embarrassed that he'd finally been caught. Hearing his words, Raven suddenly became self-conscious and did a quick once over of her clothes to see if she'd picked anything out of the ordinary.

"Ah, not that you look weird or anything," he quickly reassured, trying to cover his tracks in case he had offended her. "You look amazing," he continued without thinking, only to panic once he understood what he said. _One-way trip out the window, here I come_, he thought anxiously, bracing himself for the impact. Not feeling the usually envelopment of dark energy, Beast Boy dared to take a peek at his friend only to find her facing away from him.

"Thank you," she replied in a voice Beast Boy had never heard her use before. It was almost…girly, he realized. Surprised at this response, Beast Boy could only reason that she was actually grateful for the complement. _I guess all girls like to be told that, even if that girl's Raven_, he mused silently.

"Terra's going to be okay, you don't have to worry," she spoke again, surprising Beast Boy.

Knowing her dislike for his girlfriend, Beast Boy was touched by her concern. "You really think so?" he asked her, knowing that she would give him an honest answer. Raven had never lied to save his feeling before, why would she start now?

Raven looked Beast Boy in the eye and saw his plead for honesty; she knew anyone could tell you what you wanted to hear, and she realized he knew that too, so seeing that he valued her opinion, even after all the rest of their friends had comforted him made Raven actually smile. Cautiously, Raven reached out with her hand and placed it on Beast Boy's shoulder. "Yeah, Beast Boy, I think that everything's going to turn out alright," she spoke honestly, her smile widening.

Beast Boy sighed in relief as he heard his friend's words. Matching his friend's smile, Beast Boy enjoyed the rare moment of companionship. He enjoyed times like this the most, when the usually sarcastic and snarky Raven and him connected in a way that proved the strength of their friendship, regardless of their differences. "Thanks Rae, I can always count on you to-"

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

Beast Boys sentence was cut off as both his and Raven's communicators went off, alerting them to an emergency. As Raven quickly bathed herself in black energy, Raven's new clothes disappeared, replaced by her hooded cape and leotard.

"Titans!" Robin yelled as he dashed into the room. Chasing soon behind him was Cyborg, Starfire, and a still very damp Terra. Following their leader, the Titans waited anxiously as Robin began to type away at the large computer looking for any information on the attacking villain.

"Who do we got?" Cyborg asked, eyeing the computer screen.

"Nothings coming up on who it is, but the attack seams to have started in a residential area," Robin reported, glaring at the screen. The rest of the Titans looked at him shocked.

"Why would someone attack there?" Raven wondered, "There's nothing valuable. It's nothing but…"

"Families," Starfire worriedly finished her friends thought.

"Whoever it is, he's moving towards the city. We need to move fast. Titans, GO!" Robin ordered before sprinting out the door. Each Titan followed his order and rushed after him, almost missing the absence of a person. Turning around, Beast Boy looked behind him to see Terra gazing forlornly at the floor.

Feeling someone next to her, Terra looked up to see Beast Boy offering his hand. "You can do this, Terra, I know you can. Just show everyone how amazing I know you are," he reassured her. Terra felt her heart leap at his words and with newfound confidence; she grabbed his hand and followed him as he led her out of the tower. As she ran, she felt compelled to once again gaze at her boyfriend's face and truly appreciate him. _I don't need the city to like me. I don't care if the whole world hates me. As long as I have you…I'll be ok. _Gripping his hand even tighter, Terra picked up her pace to join her friends and fight for a city that would no doubt rather see her behind bars than out saving their ungrateful butts. Giving a smirk, Terra decided she didn't care one bit.

xXx

Arriving at the scene, the Titans were shocked to see the damage that the villain had already unleashed before their arrival. Looking around, they couldn't help but take notice of all the upturned and some just downright destroyed police cars.

"They tried to capture him without us," Raven realized, her mouth dropping open.

"Oh man," Cyborg whispered as he took in everything around him. Cement from the buildings littered the street, cars on fire throwing noxious black smoke into the air, and worse than all that, injured unconscious people caught in the crossfire were scattered helpless.

Smashing his fist onto an abandoned car, Robin glared as he saw the state of his city. "Did they really think it was worth letting innocent people get hurt?" he asked, exasperated. Shaking his head, he looked down the destroyed street and saw that the villain had left a trail in its wake. "Come on! We might be late, but we're going to make whoever did this pay."

As the teen titans rushed through the streets of jump city, all the damage the villain had committed became truly apparent. Observing the amount of wreckage around them, the Titans felt their frustration grow with each passing pile of rubble. As the ruin continued the young hero's couldn't help but feel anger, anger at the villain who started had committed the acts, and anger at the city for allowing the damage to go this far before alerting them.

Rounding the corner of, yet another, broken building, the teen heroes were happy to see an end to the wreckage. Cautiously walking forward, Robin inspected the clear, intact streets where the trail of damage stopped. "He must be close, everyone be careful. Whoever were dealing with is extremely dangerous," Robin ordered. Weapons at the ready, the Teen Titans crept ever carefully down the streets of Jump City.

Scampering quietly ahead of his team, a mousey Beast Boy was the first to be notice the presence of their destructive villain. "Guys, I hear someone up ahead!" Beast Boy franticly alerted his friends.

Dashing forward in hopes of apprehending the unknown villain, the Titans were shocked to see a girl that couldn't have been older than eight in a dirty sundress wandering about the street.

"Thanks, Beast Boy, we couldn't have caught him without you," Raven remarked sarcastically. Walking towards the girl, the Titans did their best to seem the least threatening they could.

"Little one, you should not be here. It is not safe," Starfire warned in a motherly tone. Gently floating over to the surely distressed girl, Starfire took a moment to study the girl. As she casually walked down the street, the new girl's waist length brown hair blew in the wind. Raising her hand to check on her, Starfire gasped in shock as the girl turned around to face her.

Hearing Starfire's gasp, the rest of the Titans ran ahead, worried. Reaching his girlfriend first, Robin immediately saw what caused Starfire's distress. Looking at the little girl, his eyes were drawn to the mess her sundress had become; the once innocent bright garment had become sullied in ash, dust, and to everyone's dread, _blood,_ and with no visible wound on the girl, it was clear that it was not hers. This alone was enough to warn him, but looking further Robin froze in fear. Looking into the face of the little girl, Robin found himself pulled into a pair of eyes that had no place on a little girl's face, no matter the ordeal she might have been through. Her eyes were an entrance to insanity, swirling with a mixture of madness and wisdom that could only be described as unbridled chaos.

"Starfire, come here," he calmly ordered while slowly reaching for his utility belt. Without looking away from the frightening little girl, Starfire quickly complied, dashing behind her leader and brought her ever-faithful starbolts to hand, prepared for anything.

"Are you going to get in my way too?" the girl asked in an empty cold voice, eyeing the new group of people that had decided to approach her. "Because that would not be wise," she finished emotionlessly, almost as if she were talking about the weather.

Gripping his bow staff, Robin glared at the flippant way the girl was acting towards them. "Who are you, and why are you attacking our city?" he demanded, pointing the end of his staff at her face.

Unimpressed, the girl continued to stare unflinching at the masked hero. "I am not attacking anything; I am simply trying to exist. The men with the flashing contraptions attacked me first. I was simply defending myself," she replied without a single blink. "And as for who I am…" the girl trailed off, for the first time, bringing emotion to her face. Looking away from Robin, the mysterious girl sent her eyes to the sky, squinting at the sunlight, appearing almost wistful. "I haven't the faintest idea…" she whispered."For the life of me, I can't even seem to be able to remember my name… I believe the woman I encountered when I first entered this body called me 'Lilly'. She was the first who got in my way and was dealt with accordingly," as she muttered the last part her empty gaze once again found place in Robin's. "But I suppose that Lilly is as good a name as any, so you may call me that."

Robin felt his concern bubble as understanding dawned on him. "That's not your body," he accused, gripping his weapon even tighter. "And you attacked this little girl's mother,"

"Child, my body has been dust in the wind long since your great, great, _great_ grand father drew his first breath. Of _course_ this isn't my body. It was simply the most convenient one I found," Lilly remarked condescendingly. Without warning, Lilly gripped her head between her hands, groaning in pain as twin lines of blood escaped from her nostrils.

Observing this sight, the Teen Titans felt their stomachs heave with disgust. Helpless they watched as a little girl writhed in pain, blood dripping down her chin onto her already soiled dress, matting it, even more, in innocent blood. Horrified by the disturbing sight, Starfire felt tears come to her eyes as see was forced to endure watching a little girl suffer. Finally the blood flow began to ebb, slowing the scarlet drops until they finally came to a complete stop. Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, Raven gripped the insides of her cape, doing her best to ignore the fear creeping into her pounding heart.

Panting, Lilly whipped her hand under her nose and brought the leftover blood close to her eyes to examining it closer. "It would appear that this body has almost reached its limit," she announced nonchalantly, sighing wearily. "Oh well, plenty more where that came from."

Each and every hero felt disgust as they saw some unknown being so calmly talk about slowly killing a child. "Man, who ever you are you need to stop! Who knows how much damage you've done to this girl as it is! That isn't your body, and you need to leave," Cyborg ordered as he stepped forward, arming his sonic cannon.

"_Now_," Raven added menacingly allowing her own powers flare around her.

"Or else," Beast Boy threatened before morphing into a furious, growling wolf. Silently, Starfire and Terra stepped forward, joining their friends, also adding to the intimidation with their own powers.

Lilly smirked as she saw their feeble attempt to scare her. "I had hoped that you all would be smarter than the rest of those people, but it would appear that I was wrong," she commented, letting a psychotic smile spread over her angelic face. "Very well, I would like to see how much the world has changed in my absence. Show me. Show me that this world still holds something that can entertain me!" she shouted with excitement. Opening her eyes wide, the already soulless emptiness was enhanced as her pupils began to expand, swallowing her irises and absorbing all the whites in her eyes.

The Titans observed warily as black particles, appearing from seemingly thin air, began to gather and condense into a solid ball of black nothingness. As the orb grew to the size of a softball, Lilly crumpled to the floor in a fit of coughing, letting blood splatter on the asphalt below her with each desperate wheeze.

"Let her go!" Robin yelled furiously. Charging in, Robin raised his bow staff and hoping to quickly knock out the possessed girl, aimed for the back of her exposed head. Closing in the distance, Robin's muscles tensed for, what he hoped, would be the final blow. But sensing movement out of the corner of his eye, Robin was smacked in the side of his face, sending him straight into the wall of an adjacent building.

Dusting himself off, he quickly began analyzing his strategy, searching for the source of the surprise attack. He followed the tip of the spike easily, tracking its base to the floating black orb loyally guarding its creator. Hearing the girl chuckle, Robin turned his narrowed eyes and loudly shouted his battle cry, "Titans, Go!"

Hearing their leader's order, the rest of the Titans quickly fanned around their target, each doing their best to come up with a way to subdue the girl without further injury.

Taking the initiative, Terra was the first to act. Slicing a cone of asphalt underneath her, Terra quickly rose into the sky and began to release a hail of stone down on her opponent. Without even the slightest signal from its master, the orb immediately began to protect Lilly from the harmful projectiles. Elongating itself into a long pole, the newly formed object thrust itself in front of its master and began to violently spin, reducing all stone that came in contact into harmless dust. Seeing that the orb was occupied, Starfire made a quick attempt at snatching the girl away from the dangerous weapon. Swooping low, she hastily reached out with hands, leaving her vulnerable to the black sphere's attack.

Sensing the impending danger, Lilly swiftly willed the spinning cylinder to change opponents. Halting its momentum, the staff instantly obeyed. Molding itself back into a ball, it shot out another spear and faster than the eye could blink; it zigzagged through Terra's hail of rock and pierced her stone perch, causing Terra to flail helplessly to the cold stone street. Cutting straight through the flying rock, the dark black spear changed directions, immediately flinging itself at the orange skinned hero. Going in for the kill, the thin spike sped up only to be halted be a blast of a bright blue laser.

"Boo-yah!" Cyborg yelled triumphantly as he saw his sonic cannon destroy the line of black mass.

Undeterred by the slight interruption, the floating orb shot out yet another spike to thwart the approaching threat. Seeing his friend in trouble Cyborg again raised his sonic cannon and took aim at the base of the orb. Feeling the hum of power vibrate through his right arm, Cyborg smirked as he was about to unleash his attack. Unfortunately, his confidence clouded his reasoning. He remained so focused on his target; he did not see the second tendril that had branched off the first. Seconds before Cyborg was able to release his built up energy, the second spike crashed up through the ground skewering his armed cannon causing all the power it had stored to, literally, blow up in his face. Soaring through the air, Cyborg Crashed back to earth with a heavy metallic clang, drearily Cyborg examined his ruined cannon only to find everything from his elbow down to be gone. Snarling Cyborg raised his remaining fist and charged back into the battle.

Charging at an exposed tendril, Beast Boy quickly defended his friend, clamping down on it, doing his best to destroy it with his canine jaws. Completely unharmed, the dark spike spun its attacker and crashed its body into the earth, creating a small crater with a human Beast Boy at its center. Now free the extra tendril retracted back to its origin.

Without her friends' cover, Starfire was helpless to the approaching danger and was forced to abandon her capture attempt to escape being run through. Dashing into the sky, Starfire was horrified to realize that the black tendril was honing in on her like a heat seeking missile. Twirling and spinning through the air Starfire tried helplessly to shake the approaching weapon, but it was all in vain. Flipping her body around, Starfire yelled a battle cry before launching a volley of starbolts, stopping the tendril in its tracks. Looking below, Starfire floated slowly, looking through the smoke her starbolts had created for movement. Finding none, she wiped her brow and sighed in relief.

As if sensing the opportunity, the hidden tendril thickened its tip to a hammer-like shape and flung itself out of its hiding place, bashing itself into her temple. The impact left Starfire unconscious and plummeting to the earth, gaining speed with each second.

Seeing her friend break through the clouds, Raven was the first to react. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Quickly yelling her chant, Raven raised a barrier under her falling friend, catching her before she could crash into the ground. Releasing her gently onto the ground, Raven gave a quick inspection only to find a gash on Starfire's head. Narrowing her eyes, Raven glared at the floating orb but forced herself to tend to her fallen friend.

Finally finding her strength, Lilly stood from her crouching position and inspected her enemies. "Did you really think you stood a chance against me?" she smugly asked. "I've had centuries to focus my brain, to learn all the mysteries that the mind holds. Through self-exploration alone, I've unlocked power that you couldn't even comprehend." She snickered. "And you really thought charging at me with your pathetic powers would stand a chance?" she asked, sounding amused. Looking around once more, Lilly's blood caked face morphed into one of disgust. "You have no idea what the gift of life means, of what it is to be without it. Well I can assure you _I_ do know, and now that I have it back, I'm going to keep it for a very, _very_ long time, even if I have to destroy every single human in _existence_." Emphasizing her last word, the black floating orb retracted its tendrils from the ground and began to float rapidly into the air. "Let's see how much you truly wish to keep living shall we?" Lilly asked smiling evilly. Scrunching up her face, Lilly's nose once again began to pour blood, warning the Titans of her next attack.

Realizing the impending danger, Robin never took his eyes off the rising orb, and hearing the end of Lilly's speech his eyes grew wide in fear. "Everyone, look out!" he yelled, pointing to the sky.

Looking up, everyone froze as the saw what was coming for them. Up in the sky, like a storm of arrows, fell hundreds of deadly midnight black tendrils, each more deadly than the last. His mind going a mile a minute, Robin quickly dished out his orders. "Raven, I need you to make barrier quick! Make it as strong as possible! Cyborg! Blast as many of those things out of the sky as you can! Terra, give everyone as much cover as you can. Beast Boy, I need you to protect Starfire! Go!"

Complying with his orders, everyone quickly went to work. "Azarath Metrion _Zinthos_!" Raven strained as she struggled to raise a powerful enough barrier to stop the attack.

Arming his left-handed cannon, Cyborg did his best to calculate which black streaks had the best chance of hitting, and fired as fast as he could. "Robin, my battery's running too low, I can't keep this up much longer!" he warned.

Quickly changing into an ankylosaurus, Beast Boy threw his body over the still unconscious Starfire and braced himself for the impact. Collecting the stone and debris around them Terra compacted the minerals as densely as she could over them, forming a crude but functioning shield under Raven's barrier.

Lilly watched all this with what could only be described as childlike glee. _Yes, yes! Fight for your survival! Fight for the chance to keep on living! Show me your resolve. Show me you have what it takes!_

Looking down at his arm's built in screen, Cyborg ran under the bunker. "I did the best I could, Rob," he reported, slightly out of breath. Nodding at his friend, Robin gave him a supportive pat on his back.

Looking at Terra's barrier, Robin knew they were out of time. "Get ready!" he yelled, sliding back under the protective shell of earth. The sound of each tendril crashing against Raven's magic filled every Titan's ears as the force shook the ground beneath them. Struggling to keep her barrier from failing, Raven felt sweet drip down her face from the exertion of the whole ordeal. "Robin! I…can't keep it stable!" Unable to take the increasing weight of the attack, Raven collapsed under the pressure, forcing Terra to take up the mantle. Each tendril felt like a hammer being struck repeatedly against her shield. Knowing that she was all they had left for protection, Terra persevered and held strong until finally she could feel the tendrils lessening. Terra sighed, feeling so relieved that she allowed her powers to relax, unknowingly allowing a single arrow to pierce her shield and strike Beast Boy's armored dinosaurian back.

"Beast Boy!" Hearing his pained cry, Terra completely lost all concentration and allowed her shield to crumble, burying everyone under its stone. Running over, Terra quickly lifted the dirt off of her boyfriend and dragged his silent body off of Starfire's immobile frame. Examining the now human Beast Boy, Terra cringed as she saw the blood leaking from his back. Looking up in anger, she glared at the little girl walking towards them, clapping.

"I'm truly impressed. I did not think you would actually be able to survive that," she chuckled remorselessly.

Terra felt her hands and arms glow _red_ as she the girl approached, skin and bone turning to cold and stony as Terra waited for her moment to strike. "I'm going to make you pay for hurting my friends," she growled angrily snarled at her opponent.

"Now, now, little pebble, is that really anyway to repay me after everything I've done for you?" Lilly asked with a grin rivaling even that of the Cheshire cat.

Hearing the villain call her by that name, Terra's whole world froze, all plans for a surprise attack long forgotten. _Little pebble, little pebble, little pebble…_ repeated in the blonde's head, echoing endlessly like a long forgotten lullaby. Without warning, Terra's surroundings melted into a dull empty wasteland that seemed all too familiar. "What's the matter, little pebble, are you lost?" a ghost-like voice whispered in her ear. Hearing the enthrall voice Terra's frame began to shake uncontrollable with fear. Experiencing a sharp sudden pain in her stomach, Terra, and her memory, faded into darkness.

Pushing away the dirt, Robin pulled his head above the rubble, giving him the perfect view of Lilly stabbing his newest teammate in the stomach with her newly reacquainted orb.

"_TERRA!_" Robin yelled helplessly. Try as he might, Robin found himself pinned down underneath a bolder, forced to watch his friend get skewered by a sadistic little girl. Struggling to pull himself from underneath the large rock, Robin tensed as her saw the girl begin approaching him.

"Oh don't worry your little simple minded head; it would appear that finishing that girl off pushed this body passed its limit," Lilly spoke sneering down at the growling super hero. "I do hope we get the chance to play again, _Robin_, I really do," having finished her gloating speech.

Robin watched horrified as the little girl's body crumpled to the floor, finally free from its harmful possession.

Groaning, Raven finally awoke, disoriented and confused. Having been spared the worst of the rock fall, she hurriedly went to work digging the rest of her friends out. "Where's Beast Boy?" she asked worriedly as she lifted the large bolder off of her leader. Dusting himself off, Robin pointed to the unconscious Terra and quickly went to work checking on the extent of little girl's injuries. Ignoring her leader's worrying silence, Raven quickly identified Beast Boy and dashed over to his location. Slowing down her walk, she carefully approached the unnaturally still green changeling who was dutifully guarding over his girlfriend's body.

Noticing her approach, Beast Boy turned his head, crushing her heart with the pain he held in his eyes. "Help her," he pleaded pitifully.

Unable to stand the look he was giving her, Raven quickly averted her eyes. "I don't know what you want me to do, Beast Boy," she whispered back.

Rising to his feet, Beast Boy ignored his back's flash of fresh pain. "I know you can heal her. You healed my leg with that blue glowy stuff that one time. Why can't you heal her too?" he asked desperately, gripping her arms.

Raven steeled her resolve not to look into his eyes. He didn't know what he was really asking her to do. She didn't have the ability to just heal anything she wanted, to send the pain away, she could only transfer the pain from one person to another. It was one thing to heal a little bruise on the leg, which she was more than happy to shoulder that for him but this was almost a mortal wound. "It's not that easy, Beast Boy," she whispered. Feeling his hands on her arms tighten, Raven made the grave mistake of turning her head looking into his face. Doing her best to resist, Raven could feel her will dropping by the second.

"Please," he begged one last time.

Hearing the desperation in his voice, Raven sighed in defeat and gave Beast Boy a nod, signaling him to release her so she could get to work. Kneeling beside the wounded girl, Raven took a moment to asses what other injuries Terra had acquired. Not finding any more life treating ones Raven solemnly went to work. Bringing the blue glow to her fingertips, Raven grimaced as she felt the pain begin to pool in her abdomen. Forcing herself to work through the pain, Raven intensified her blue magic, speeding up the transfer. Looking down, Raven sighed in relief as the wound no longer appeared life threatening; stopping the flow of magic to her hands Raven gripped her abdomen and fell to the ground curling into herself. "I wasn't able to completely heal her, but she should live," she whispered, breathless.

Standing up, Raven quickly shielded her stomach with her robe and leaned against a near by building for support. Panting Raven found herself with bearably enough energy to stand.

"I knew you could do it! Thank you," Beast Boy exclaimed excitedly. Looking up at her, Beast Boy was shocked to see the state his friend was in. Running up behind her, he just caught her in time before she fell "Raven, what's wrong, are you hurt?" he franticly asked.

Looking up, Raven continued to pant from exhaustion, "I guess I got banged up a little more than I thought," she lied smoothly. Seeing the darkness begin to close in around her vision, Raven closed her eyes and laid her head against Beast Boy's chest. And even through all the pain, Raven couldn't help but notice how good it felt to be in his arms.

**A/N: I hope all you guys enjoyed the fight scene, please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: hey guys sorry its been so long since I last updated. This chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

Awaking in darkness, Terra immediately became aware of the lack of oxygen around her. Panicking, she struggled for breath, flopping on the floor like a freshly caught fish. As time stretched on, Terra's struggles slowed to a stop as she realized that although she couldn't breathe, she was in fact _not_ suffocating. Confused, Terra opened her eyes to a bright emptiness that surrounded and blinded her. _NO, _she cried silently inside her head. As Terra franticly whipped her head in all directions, her eyes were met with the same scenery again, and again, a white barren wasteland stretching endlessly in all directions. _No_, she repeated, this time in defeat. Curling into the fetal position, Terra resigned herself to her location. She was back where she started, she was dead. Letting the gravity of the situation finally reach her, Terra began to shake with misery. How could she have been allowed such a brief time to see Beast Boy only to have it taken away just like that? How was she supposed to stay sane when she was torn away from him just when their life together had begun? What was left for her if this was all she was ever going to see for the rest of existence? Feeling the smooth, texture-less ground beneath her on her naked skin, Terra watched the ethereal fog swirl in a non-existent wind. Everything was still. Silent. There was no smell, no temperature, no sound, and there wouldn't ever be until the end of time. _Nothing._ As the Terra's shock began to wear off, panic set in. Pounding the floor beneath her, Terra opened her mouth prepared to scream but fell to the ground pathetically in silence. She knew it was futile to try, she couldn't remember how many she had tried screaming the last time she was here. Falling back on the floor, Terra mentally whimpered as she recalled that even after everything, she was denied even the solace of crying.

"_Terra…_" a voice echoed inside her head.

Despite the voice in her head, Terra immediately crushed her ears with her hands, doing her best to drown out the whispering words.

"Terra…" the voice repeated; this time, it was much more solid and familiar.

_You're not Beast Boy, you're not real! Go away!_ Terra yelled. She'd dealt with the hallucinations before. As her mind deteriorated from the extended solitude, her imagination began to play tricks on her. The first time it had happened Terra was ecstatic; thinking it was actually Beast Boy. But then as time went on, Terra realized what was actually happening, but, as Ironic as it may be, still decided to converse with the phantom voice if only to preserve her sanity. They would talk about nothing at all for what seemed like hours until his voice would fade away. She would fidget uncontrollably, waiting for the whispers in her head to start again. But soon she grew angry at the voice, yelling at it every time it would appear for leaving. Truly losing all sense of sanity she had left in the argument, she would scream at herself until finally she learned to just ignore it. But know that she had left, that she had gotten to hear the real Beast Boy whisper sweet nothings into her ear; this imitating voice was just a mockery.

"TERRA!" the voice shouted.

Feeling a pair of hands wrap around her arms, Terra looked around in panic. _Leave me alone!_ The feeling of the ghostly hands had yet to disappear and this frightened Terra, for her hallucinations never had this much power before. Struggling, the hands had forced her on her back, staring up into the bland empty sky.

"TERRA!"the voice boomed inside her skull.

Wincing in pain, Terra began to hyperventilate, completely unaware of the return of oxygen. All around her, the bright intense background that surrounded her began to darken, becoming blacker and blacker by the second. Franticly struggling to escape, Terra froze as she found a demonic Lilly smiling at her from her feet. Shuddering, Terra gazed into Lilly's blood red eyes.

"Little pebble, I'll help you escape. Just give me your hand," she spoke, revealing two rows of dagger-like teeth. Reaching out with her clawed hand, Lilly giggled happily, sounding like any other little girl.

Against her better judgment, Terra struggled with renewed hope to reach out and grasp the little girl's hand, but the ghostly force was unrelenting and kept her hand still. Unable to reach out to the hand, Terra watched horrified as the hand began to melt, pooling black ooze onto her feet. The dissolving hand soon disappeared, an arm and shoulder soon following it. Not long after, all of Lilly's body began to melt into black ooze, all of it somehow finding its way onto Terra's body. Sobbing, Terra eyes moved from the black ooze creeping up her body to Lilly's melting head, which by know was reduced to a red eyed skull with chucks of flesh hanging from its bone.

"Put your trust in me and I will set you free," it gurgled, floating closer and closer towards Terra's face. Frozen with fear, Terra was helpless to the zombified head's approach. Reaching the blond haired hero's head, the skull stilled inches above hers. "Do as I say, and you will be immortal," it whispered before the scarlet eyes that burrowed into Terra's soul melted, pouring black ooze directly into Terra's eyes, rendering her blind, and petrified in a whole new way as her own personal hell seamed be coming to life before her very eyes.

xXx

"Beast Boy," Terra asked, breathless. Coming to, Terra observed her surroundings finding all the sounds and equipment of a hospital. "I'm…not dead?" she asked, turning her gaze back to her boyfriend.

"I sure hope not 'cause dating a zombie might get a little weird," he chuckled, smiling down at her. "You looked like you were having a pretty bad nightmare," he continued worriedly.

Gasping at the word 'nightmare', Terra looked into her boyfriend's face, taking in every detail. She hadn't lost her opportunity. She wasn't trapped. And most importantly, she still had time. Shooting up from her bed, Terra wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, crushing her body into his. "I'm not dead," she repeated in joy, tightening her grip.

Returning his girlfriends hug, Beast Boy closed his eyes and enjoyed the thumping of her heart in time with his. "It would take way more than that to take you down," he spoke while gently stroking her long hair.

Enjoying his touch, Terra peeked around and once again studied the high tech medical equipment surrounding them. "Where are we?" she asked, pulling back from the hug.

"This is the medical wing in Titans Tower. You'd be amazed what kind of medical machines Cyborg's been able to come up with. Look, my back's already healed," he responded showing off his unmarked back.

Moving her hand across his smooth muscled back, Terra blushed but realized he was right; there wasn't even a mark left of his previous wound. "How long was I asleep," she asked, amazed.

"Five days," he answered sadly. "You were really starting to freak me out," he continued, grabbing her free hand.

Looking at their conjoined hands, Terra smiled at the romantic gesture, he could be the sweetest guy some times, and that just made her realize how much she could have lost. "What happened to me?" she asked gripping his hand tighter. "The last thing I remember was getting ready to attack that girl and then…nothing."

"I was still unconscious when it happened…but Robin told me that you just froze and let Lilly attack you," he replied, looking into her eyes, confused. "She stabbed you almost all the way through your stomach, you're lucky Raven was there to heal you or you'd be way worse off than you are now," he continued, smiling his childlike smile.

Looking down at her stomach, Terra pulled the covers away from her body and examined the pink bandages wrapped around her midsection. Poking at them, Terra winced as the tender area spasmed in pain. "Heck of a time to space out huh," she joked. Thinking back to his answer, something bothered her. "Wait, what do you mean Raven healed me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it was amazing! Raven healed you using this cool blue glowing magic even though she was really hurt. I'm pretty sure it saved your life," he spoke, sounding amazed.

"Wh-where is she now? I should thank her," she asked in an overly cheerful voice.

Ignoring her strange tone, Beast Boy's look turned sad. "That Lilly girl must have had some kind of freaky preference about stabbing because Raven has almost the exact same wound in her stomach too, only a lot deeper. I felt kinda bad when I found out because I was the one that begged her to heal you when she didn't want to. It really scared us when Cyborg had had tough time stabilizing her. But she's alright now, so don't worry. She's resting behind that curtain over there," he reassured, pointing to a curtain across the room. "And she should be awake in a few days… hopefully," he added with a frown.

Starring at the curtain, Terra sat silently clutching the bedspread with the oddest look of confusion on her face. Looking up to her boyfriend her features softened, "Kiss me," she spoke, surprising Beast Boy.

Blushing, Beast Boy felt a million goofy jokes to spout out but seeing the serious look in Terra's eyes he quickly decided obliging was the smarter option. Beast Boy would never get tired of kissing his girlfriend, the feeling of her warm lips against his was amazing. He could always feel how much she cared for him.

"Ahem," an intruding cough intervened.

Jumping apart, the two teens blushed furiously as their interment moments always seemed to be interrupted.

"Well seems like one of my patients seems to be feeling better," Cyborg joked, causing a humorous giggle to erupt from Starfire right behind him.

"Much," Terra smiled happily at her boyfriend.

Chuckling, Cyborg entered the medical room and began examining all of Terra's monitors writing numbers and word down on his clipboard. "You seem to be healing up pretty well, I'd give you another couple days and you'll be good as new," he reported happily. Walking over to Raven's bed he pulled the curtain aside and began examining her injury.

Seeing his other wounded friend, Beast Boy walked behind Cyborg, peeking at her unconscious floating body. "How's she doing?" he asked worried.

"Better. The wound is staying clean and her fever seams to have cooled down considerably. I don't think she's going to wake up any time soon, but don't worry, that's just how Raven's body heals," Cyborg replied.

"Friend Terra, may I ask how are your injuries," Starfire inquired, walking over to her bedside.

"Nothing to worry about, Starfire, I'm mostly just sore. But how's your head doing?" Terra asked.

"I am unharmed thanks to Cyborg, although I am a bit embarrassed to have fallen in battle so easily," Starfire answered with down cast eyes.

"Star, don't even worry about it. That thing kicked all our butts," Cyborg comforted.

"Yeah, Starfire, we know what to expect next time we fight whoever that was and we'll be ready, "Beast Boy added with a confident grin.

"Thank you friends, you are right. I should not allow myself to wallow. I must attend to Robin. Maybe I can get him to eat this time. Excuse me," Starfire solemnly announced. As she flew out of the room, everyone could see the worry for their leader etched in her face.

"What's up with Robin? Is he hurt too?" Terra asked confused.

"He hasn't left the inspection room since we got home from the battle," Cyborg grimly answered. "He's been looking for clues on who our mystery villain is nonstop. He hasn't been eating or sleeping or anything except researching, and it's really freaking Star out," he continued, shaking his head.

"Yeah, we haven't seen him this obsessed since Slade. And even then he remembered to take a shower every once in awhile," Beast Boy joked humorlessly.

Not knowing what to say, Terra remained silent, unsure if she should report the familiar name she'd been called in battle. But before she could come to s decision, Cyborg cut her off.

"Alright guys. Terra still needs to rest and heal up so it's time to get out, Beast Boy," Cyborg ordered. Walking out of the room, he gave the couple a knowing smile. "I'll just let you two have a moment." Chuckling, he stepped out, giving the pair their privacy.

Embarrassed but happy, Terra turned her head to her boyfriend and closed her eyes expectantly. Not one to disappoint Beast Boy was more than happy to give his girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips. Expecting her boyfriend to immediately leave the room afterwards, Terra was surprised to see Beast Boy move from her bedside to Raven's. Observing silently, Terra watched as Beast Boy stared down at his friend with worry. Watching for two minutes, Terra wasn't sure what to say as he just stood there staring at the sleeping girl. Finally seeing him move, she fisted her blanket as she watched him gently swipe away a stray lock of violet hair that had gotten in her face. "I hope you wake up soon too, Raven," she heard him whisper. And then with a quick smile in her direction, Terra was left alone, with only a wary and uncertain thought nagging in the back of her skull to keep her company.

xXx

Alone in a dark room, a haggard face illuminated by a computer screen stood emotionless examining and studying each and every word that appeared on the appearing web page. Each page only lasting seconds before its replacement, it was an impressive if not eerie sight. The sound of fingers striking keys filled the room with its rhythmic pattern never pausing for more than half a second. Used to this monotonous sound, Robin paused typing for the briefest of seconds as he heard the 'whoosh' of the mechanical sliding door slicing through the dark room before he returned to his online search, completely disregarding his girlfriend who held yet another tray of food that he knew he had no time for.

Stepping through the entryway, Starfire observed her boyfriend's stiff, rigid form and sighed in expected disappointment. _He has not moved an inch_, she realized, shaking her head. Moving forward, Starfire was swallowed by the dark shadows of the room and spared a brief glance at the mesmerizing lights the computer screen gave off before turning her attention to a small table in the corner of the room. Walking over to it, Starfire gripped her tray in anger as she saw the trays of food exactly where she had left them, cold and untouched.

Pulling his hand back instinctively, Robin just narrowly avoided the tray as it crashed down on the keyboard, spilling its contents around it.

"Eat," Starfire pleaded, poorly hiding her frustration.

Looking behind him, Robin stared at his girlfriend's pleading face and merely turned back to his computer moving the tray aside and wiped away the spilled food, resuming his hunt for information. "I told you, Starfire. I don't have time," he said finally acknowledging her presence. Robin knew she was getting angry with him, but he was busy, and would deal with her later.

Swallowing back her anger at his flippant attitude, Starfire grabbed his shoulders in an iron grip, hoping this would get his attention. "Please, Robin. Even if you do find clues on how to defeat this new villain you will not have the strength to fight him if you do not eat," Starfire strategically persuaded.

Ignoring her completely, Robin continued to type away, forcing Starfire's patience to come to an end.

"ROBIN!" Starfire shouted, her eyes lighting up with green fire. "You will not ignore me," she angrily demanded.

Slamming his hands down on his keyboard the flashing of digital web pages came to a stop, throwing the room into tense silence and stillness. "A little girl is in the hospital with severe brain damage and you want me to take a snack break," he rhetorically asked, his face as stoic as ever.

Silent, Starfire watched nervously as even through the large shadow being cast by the young hero's body, she could clearly see that he was shaking with repressed emotion.

"I've been up here for five days! And I haven't found a mention of what ever the hell it was we fought!" he yelled. "We barely made it out alive last time; you barely made it out alive last time. If that thing hadn't changed weapons before it struck you, you'd be…you'd be…" Turning around to face his girlfriend, Robins face became cast it the shadows of the room giving it a haunted if not eerie appearance. "Until I know how to defeat this thing, I don't have any time to waste," he finished returning back to his calm emotionless mask.

Once again speechless, Starfire watched her emotionally distressed boyfriend return to his computer and carefully chose her next words as not to cause another outburst. "We are all saddened by the young one's pain, I was not telling you to abandon your search. I was simply asking you to take care of your body. I already have to visit two friends in the room of healing I do not wish to visit you there as well!" Starfire exclaimed emotionally. Taking a deep breath, Starfire continued to stare at the back of her boyfriend's head and struggled to keep her emotions to from bursting out of her as they usually did. "When you first asked me to become your girlfriend, I admit I did not truly understand what earth dating meant, but from what I have from our relationship so far has been wonderful and has filled my heart with nothing but joy," Starfire slowly began. Pausing her words for the briefest of seconds, she was grateful to see Robin's hands had stilled; the only sign that he was actually listening at all. "Joy because dating you has allowed me to learn about you and become closer to you more than ever before. But most importantly it has aloud me to become closer to you more than any other person on either of my worlds. From the first day that I appeared on this planet, you have been by my side. You became someone I have come to care for greatly. Maybe more than anyone I've known before, and that is why, more than anyone else, it pains me to you hurt yourself so." Stepping forward Starfire wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders and buried her face in his soft, if not a little dirty, hair and held him tight through the back of his chair. "So please. If you've come to care for me as I have for you, cease harming your body in this way. I implore you," Starfire finished, desperate.

Keeping her hold on him tight, Starfire gasped as Robin reached over to the tray he had so easily pushed aside and grabbed the nearest dish, tearing into it like a wild animal. One by one everything on the tray disappeared down his throat leaving little time to breathe. Finally run out of things to consume, Robin finished his frenzy with a large glass of water and an audible burp. Swiveling his chair around, Robin returned his girlfriend's embrace, pulling her into his lap. "Your cooking's getting better," he commented. After seconds of silence embracing, Robin's exhaustion finally began to catch up with him. "I didn't mean to make you worry," he finally apologized," and I'm sorry for how I've been treating you."

"You will lead us to victory just as you always have, Robin. I have never doubted this," Starfire reassured. "But know you need rest. And once you awake I will help you in your search for clues. We will not allow another innocent to be harmed by this monster." Content to stay in her boyfriend's lap for quite a while, Starfire begrudgingly stepped away and allowed Robin to return to his feet.

Walking to their room, Robin couldn't help but admire how she had snapped him out of his obsessive domineer. Robin was truly amazed at times the lengths this beautiful alien would go for him. Reaching out, Robin gripped her hand in his and was rewarded with a gleeful squeeze of his own. He would find a way to stop this new villain, this he knew, but right now, maybe he would just enjoy a few uninterrupted hours of sleep with his girlfriend and forget the world around them. She was the only thing that was able to distract him from his responsibilities; the pressure of heroism. And for that he'd never be able to tell her how grateful he truly was.

xXx

As Raven became faintly aware of her surroundings, her mind began to clear itself of mental cobwebs, allowing her to remember everything that had transpired before her blackout. Groaning at the memories of her stupidity, Raven became all too aware of the lead ball that felt like it was crammed in her stomach. Opening her eyes, Raven slowly lowered her body onto the bed, wincing only slightly as she made contact. Looking around her, she was quickly able to assess that she was in fact alive and in the Titan healing bay. Sighing, she dragged her body into a sitting position and stared listlessly at the dull ceiling tiles above her. _How long have I been out?_ She wondered.

"You're awake," a voice spoke. Jumping in surprise, Raven groaned in the pain the action caused and looked towards the direction of the voice. "Terra?" she asked surprised. Peering across the dimly lit room, Raven easily located her temporary roommate, and chastised herself for not noticing her presence earlier.

"I'm glad. That you're awake, I mean. Cyborg said you wouldn't be awake for a few more days, but I guess it's kinda hard to measure magic with medicine huh?" she rambled nervously. Fidgeting and peeking a quick glance under her eyelashes, Terra saw Raven's piercing gaze and quickly spun her eyes away out of shock. Cursing her nerves, Terra scrunched face into a frustrated scowl as she tried to calm herself.

Unsure how to respond, Raven went to her default response. Silence. She watched curiously as the girl's fidgeting increased with each passing minute all the while taking quick sneaking glances in her direction. _Am I really that scary?_ She mused glumly "If you have something to say to me, just say it," she finally ordered, annoyed by the girl's constant fidgeting. Expecting Terra to shy away from her sharp tone, Raven was surprised when Terra's fidgeting came to a stop and she met her gaze head on. Warily, Raven observed Terra's new disposition and to her shock found a hint of the old boisterous Terra in the geokinetic girl's eyes.

"Beast Boy…" Terra started out calmly. "Beast Boy told me that you healed me," she finally spoke.

Surprised by this response, Raven didn't understand what her healing Terra had to do with her sudden change in attitude. "Ah…don't worry about it," she cautiously responded. Seeing Terra's eyes narrow at her response, Raven's confusion continued to grow.

"But see, that's the problem. I am worried about it," Terra spoke boldly. She needed to be brave, she needed answers, and she wouldn't get them if she kept acting like a scared little girl about to be scolded. "Because I know what your healing really is and what it means."

Hearing her Terra's bold declaration, Raven knew that any illusion of tolerance she had been putting up for the girl had disintegrated right there and then. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Raven answered coldly. Using her intimidating glare, she dared Terra to call her bluff.

Matching Raven's glare with her own, Terra clearly conveyed how she felt about being treated so childishly. "Yes, you do, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult me by lying," Terra replied, narrowing her eyes. As bold as Terra appeared on the outside, she refused to show just how anxious this confrontation was actually making her. _What if I'm wrong? What if she really just risked her life for me? What if I'm ruining any chance of us being real friends some day? What if I'm just being paranoid… but what if I'm right? _Assaulted by the many doubts clashing in her head, Terra's one lone thought of being right solidified her resolve for answers. Even if it made Raven hate her more then she already did. Even if she really was only seeing things. Even if it was just to calm her paranoid mind…she needed to know. "When I was Slade's apprentice, he made sure I knew everything about you guys to take you all down. Fighting styles, powers, allergies, any kind of weakness I could exploit, he made sure I knew. That's how I know what your healing really is, and that's how I know how you really got wounded." Dragging her eyes away from Raven's wide frantic eyes, Terra trailed her eyes down the violet haired girls' body and rested on her bandaged stomach. "You transferred my injury to yourself," she said softly slowing her fingertips to gently brush across the remnants of her own injury.

Raven glared at Terra with a new sense of loathing she didn't know possible. Slade knew her secret. Terra knew her secret, and now she was completely at her mercy. "What do you want," she hissed out angrily. As much as she hated it, Raven knew she was going to have to comply with what ever Terra ordered of her. She couldn't risk her friends knowing that she was an empath. Magic is impossible to explain, and used incorrectly, very volatile. These two reasons are why so many people fear the reason magic, and the reason so many people fear her. If her friends truly knew of her empathic powers it would only distance her even more from them. She had seen it happen before. Once you tell people, they're always looking over their shoulders; always afraid that you're in their head reading their thoughts, and no matter how much you try to explain that, that isn't how your powers work they don't understand it still confuses them, and from that confusion comes fear, and from fear breads hatred…and Raven didn't want to lose her friends.

Dropping her glare in an instant, Terra shook her hands franticly at the misunderstanding. "No, no, no. I'm not trying to blackmail you I swear," she reassured. "I just want to know why," she asked. "_You hate me_. You've made that abundantly clear from the beginning. So why would you risk your life to save mine? From what Beast Boy told me, that wound could have killed me, could have killed you. So…why?" she asked bewildered.

So relived to have her secret safe, Raven actually did consider Terra's question. Why did she save her? She wondered staring off into the distance. If shed just waited a few hours, told Beast Boy that she truly couldn't do anything for the girl, she could have finally been free from the troublemaking girl. She would get to have her life with her friends back. She'd never have to worry about seeing her again. Given time, she might even have had a chance to start something with Beast Boy. So…why didn't she just let Terra die? Thinking back to the aftermath of the battle, Raven couldn't get the image of Beast Boy's agonized face as the thought of Terra's death attacked his mind, and she knew the answer was inescapable. "Because Beast Boy asked me to," she answered with a small smile.

Grabbing a fist full of blankets, Terra's eyes brows furled in worry. "What," she questioned in a forced calm tone.

"Beast Boy would have been sad if you died, and I didn't want that," Raven explained.

Doing her best to control her breathing, Terra was beginning to panic. She was right. She wasn't seeing things. She wasn't paranoid. Raven didn't risk her life for her, and she wasn't crazy. "Stay away from Beast Boy," Terra ordered slowly.

Shocked, Raven spun her gaze around and glared at the slightly glowing girl in front of her. "What," she asked disbelieving.

"I said," Terra spoke patiently. "Stay away from Beast Boy."

"What are you talking about," Raven demanded indignantly.

Meeting Raven's furious eyes, Terra finally reviled her own anger. "You're in love with my boyfriend and I want you stay the hell away from him. _That's_ what I'm talking about," she spoke through clenched teeth. Terra took satisfaction from Raven's wide fearful eyes but was in no mood to hear her excuses and denial. "I've had my suspicions for a while now." She spoke quickly, not allowing Raven any time to reply. "At first I thought I was just being paranoid, that you really did just hate me for betraying the Titans or you really were just protecting Beast Boy's feelings when you were warning me, even that you didn't smile when Beast Boy was looking at your new clothes, but this? I can't ignore this," she said slowly shaking her head.

Raven wanted to lie. To tell Terra that she'd imagined everything. She wanted to yell at the top of her lungs that there was no way she would ever fall in love with the green elfin clown, but she could see the confirmation in Terra's eyes, the assuredness, and all the excuses in the world wouldn't be able to fool her. Terra had found her out.

"You will stay away from Beast Boy if you don't want him to know how you really healed me," Terra threatened.

Raven truly felt as if she'd been struck by the angered blond. "I thought you said you weren't blackmailing me," she glared.

_"__I lied,"_ Terra simply responded. She didn't care what kind of underhanded tactics she had to use. As long as she got to keep Beast Boy, she'd do anything.

Raven stared at the cynical blond with the utmost calm; she really wasn't surprised by her response. It merely verified everything she had thought of the girl. Well, she wasn't going out without a fight. "I'm not the only one who's been keeping secrets," Raven cryptically spoke.

This time it was Terra's time to be confused. "What are _you_ talking about?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"I checked your whole body before I healed you. I needed to make sure I wasn't going to be absorbing any unnecessary injures," Raven continued with a frown. "Tell me Terra, just _how_ did your arms become pure stone in the middle of battle," she wondered rhetorically. "You told us that you didn't remember how you were freed from your petrifaction, but that was a lie." Allowing a few seconds to let her words sink in, Raven carefully observed Terra and smirked as she saw Terra's confident demeanor crumble into one of cautious anger. "I don't know why you lied or what you're hiding, but as long as it isn't a danger to my friends ill keep quiet if you do."

"You have no idea if I even have a secret. All you saw was my arms as stone," Terra pointed out.

"We'll just have to see what Beast Boy thinks then, won't we," Raven countered.

Accepting defeat, Terra nodded her head in submission. "I'm not going to let you try to take Beast Boy with out a fight," she warned.

Raven looked at Terra and offered a bittersweet smile. "I've haven't been trying to steal him in the first place. As long as he's happy…that's enough for me." Feeling emotionally and physically drained, Raven ignored any additional comments Terra might have had and lowered her head to her pillow immediately feeling the sweet caress of sleep claim her. Leaving Terra, once again, alone and ruminative.

xXx

Beast Boy had always thought of himself as generally a good person. He didn't support the slaughter of innocent animals by being a vegetarian. He's saved countless lives from an untimely death at the hands of some mad villain by being a hero, and now here he sat outside the Teen Titans healing bay resting room ready to spring into action at a moment's notice if his girlfriend should need him…it wasn't his fault he fell asleep. As he came out of his unexpected nap, Beast Boy's elfin ears immediately picked up on the sound of words coming from the other side of the door. Afraid that it might be Terra having another nightmare, he readily pressed his ear against the door and waited for the words to continue. _Ah…don't worry about it, _he heard Raven say. At the thought of seeing his friend awake and healthy, Beast Boy nearly tore through the offending door if not stopped by Terra's voice.

_Because I know what your healing really is and what it means._

Curious, Beast Boy leaned back to his original position and listened closely to their conversation. _What did she mean what Ravens healing really is_? He wondered. Realizing that he was in fact eavesdropping, Beast Boy came to a crossroad: should he stay and listen, or leave…

Hearing the room go silent, a wide-eyed Beast Boy backed away from the door as quietly as possible in disbelief. Shaking his head, Beast Boy only had one rational coherent thought: _I should have left when I had the chance_.

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. If you did please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: hey guys sorry it's been so long since I last updated, again. This chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

"Beast Boy!" Terra's frustrated call echoed through the halls.

Ducking behind one of the many hallways built in Titans Tower, Beast Boy cursed his luck as his blond girlfriend had managed to sniff out his hiding spot yet again. It had been three days since he had unknowingly listened in on Raven and Terra's confrontation, and two days since Terra had begun hunting him. Beast Boy hadn't meant for the situation to escalate this far. Originally, he had only wanted a few hours alone to sort through his confusion. After what he heard, Beast Boy had more than enough reason to want to be alone, but not an hour after her release from the healing bay had Terra began her hunt for her green skinned boyfriend. In hindsight, Beast Boy knew he should have just confronted Terra right when she first began searching for him; maybe even have told her about his need to be alone, but… he was afraid. He really just didn't know what he was supposed to do, and before he knew it, he was running, and he'd been running ever since. He knew that it was cowardly, but he truly didn't know how to face her.

Stilling his breath, Beast Boy listened to his girlfriend's retreating footsteps and sighed in relief. Sliding his back down the wall behind him, Beast Boy drew one knee under his chin adopting a forlorn, exhausted expression. _I can't hide forever. _Shaking his head, he knew he had to face reality; Terra was keeping secrets from him. Again. Even after everything that happened, she was still lying to him, to all of them. What was he supposed to do now? Pretending he hadn't heard anything would probably be the easiest solution; just forget everything he heard, and go back to his amazing girlfriend in their awesome relationship. _It's not like I really know what Terra's secret is, right? _All Raven had said was that Terra lied about knowing how she was turned back to normal, and who cares how Terra did it? She's back, Terra's alive! That's all that matters right? …so why did he feel so hurt?

Groaning under the weight of so many convoluted questions, Beast Boy mind began to drift to the other half of the of the conversation her had overheard. _Raven… likes me,_ he recalled, astounded. Even just hearing the sentence in his mind sounded bizarre. That's not to say the part of his brain controlled by testosterone hadn't been a little happy to hear of the violet haired girl's feelings, but the thought of actually pursuing a relationship with her sent Beast Boy's head into a tailspin. What the heck did she see in him? They had absolutely nothing in common. Not to mention he was constantly getting on her nerves. It just seemed impossible. _And yet…_recalling how selflessly Raven had used her powers to heal Terra, a girl she hated, amazed Beast Boy. To think that she would go that far for him, maybe… maybe Raven wouldn't make that bad of a girlfriend after all. But still, things like holding hands in the park, telling each other about their day and their feelings, spending more than five minutes alone with each other with out getting thrown through something; Beast Boy just couldn't see any of it happening.

Sighing, Beast Boy closed his eyes and tried to imagine what having Raven as a girlfriend would actually be likes. Holding her, kissing her, touching her…Shaking his head at the direction of his thoughts, Beast Boy recalled the one past time he'd seen Raven show an interest in… well anyone. Malchior. Even years later, the name still filled Beast Boy with anger. The way the dragon had played with Raven's feelings was unforgivable, but it had allowed Beast Boy to see Raven in a much more gentle, feminine way. Charged by the discovery in his memory, Beast Boy found his mind racing to the time he became a fly on her wall to watch them in Ravens room. Beast Boy at that time had been too amazed at the sight of his gloomy friend smiling and blushing to give it any thought, but looking back at them now from an entirely new perspective, Beast Boy was amazed at just how… cute she had been. _Is that how she would be if we were dating? _That idea made Beast Boy smile for the first time in days.

"Is that all it takes to replace me?" Terra's voice invaded his mind. Guilt slashed through Beast Boy's mind's image of Raven and replaced it with the image of a heart-broken Terra.

He had a girlfriend. How could he possibly be trying to start something with Raven? That would crush Terra. Terra was everything he could ever want in a girlfriend, and there was no way he was just gonna ditch her like yesterdays tofu because he had the option. What would that say about him as a boyfriend, as a person?

No, he wasn't going to dump Terra… but he still needed to do something. Terra was still been keeping secrets from him, and he wasn't going to just going to feign ignorance and forget; that was no way to be in a relationship. But it wasn't like he could exactly just demand that she tell him all her secrets either…

Exasperated and out of ideas, Beast Boy rose to his feet, and stepped out from his hiding spot into the open. "I might not know exactly what I'm gonna do, but I can't keep hiding," he spoke determinately to thin air.

xXx

"Beast Boy!" Terra's voice called out for the hundredth time that day. Crying out the name of her missing boyfriend yet again, Terra exhaled a long sigh of frustration as her voice was met with the all too familiar echo of silence. No one knew where Beast Boy was, and no matter where she looked, Terra just could not find him. It was like he had vanished. The only reason she knew he was sill even in the Tower at all was thanks to Cyborg being able to trace Beast Boy's transmitter, but by the time she eventually got to where Cyborg directed her, Beast Boy was nowhere to be found. Shaking her head, Terra couldn't understand what was happening.

Initially when Terra had first been allowed out of the medical room, she had been surprised to not see her ever-devoted boyfriend waiting for her on the other side of the door, but shrugged it off and decided to wait for him to find her in the common room. After twiddling her thumbs for an hour, Terra got tired of waiting, and decided she might have better luck looking for him, and see what was keeping him.

Searching around the Tower, Terra became more and more confused as Beast Boy refused to show himself in any of the usual places she knew he hung out. Seeking help from their friends, Terra began to feel worry as none of them seemed to know he could be ether. But after walking around a ten story tower for two days straight calling out her boyfriend's name like a lost pet, Terra was just plain annoyed.

"Beast Boy, when I find you, your gonna wish you were never born!" She yelled into the empty hallway. Continuing on her way down the many hallways held in Titans Tower, Terra began to feel her anger and frustration lessen with each passing step instead replacing these volatile and erratic emotions with the much more subdued… fear. _Is… is he hiding from me? Why? What could I have done that would make him want to hide? _Searching through her memory, Terra found herself at a loss as she failed to think of a reason to explain her boyfriend's current actions. _Beast Boy, I'm sorry …what ever I did I'm sorry._"Just don't leave me alone," she finished in a whisper.

The sound of her foot steps reverberating off of the surfaces around her filled the silent passage way echoing and haunting her; its volume ever increasing until the sound drowned out any and everything surrounding her.

Alone. She had been alone for so long, even before her death in that endless oblivion. Her powers had isolated her from everyone she knew, even her family. Remembering the cold glares of contempt they would give her at the slightest slip up or mistake with her powers, Terra shuddered at the memory. Having been unable to handle it, she had ran as far away as she could from those glares She had traveled all across the world, never settling, because she knew that sooner or later, those glares would return, so she chose to be alone because in truth… it was all she had ever known.

But then she had met Beast Boy, and for the first time in her life, she didn't feel alone. She had friends and a place she could call home and she was happy, but it didn't last. It never lasts. Beast Boy had learned of her inability to control her powers, and once again, she was faced with the fear of seeing that glare; the fear of seeing it in the eyes of her friends, and so she ran, she ran right into the hands of a manipulative madman with promises of control. Terra had trusted his words and blindly followed down a path of darkness and lies that ultimately destroyed her.

He had told her his goal right from the start. Destroy the Teen Titans. And she agreed without a second thought. The promise of control was to alluring to seductive, for once she had control, she wouldn't have to be alone ever again, she could live a normal life like a normal girl and wouldn't ever have to worry about that glare again. And if she needed to destroy a few friends in the process… so be it.

They would have turned on her eventually anyway. Given time, all those friendly eyes and words would have turned to scorn just like the rest. So she did it; she trained under Slade and acquired the control she had sought for so long and used it to infiltrate and betray the Teen Titans just as she had been ordered.

Among her friends, Terra once again began to feel the loneliness that had plagued her for so long dissipate into the swirl of friendship and joy. It was everything she had ever wanted. If not for black shadow of Slade looming around her, Terra could have honestly said that she was happy, for once in her life truly happy, she never wanted it to change… but it did, and in more ways than one. Slade had finished his preparations for attacking the Teen Titans, and Beast Boy had asked her out on her first date.

Terra had always been drawn to Beast Boy even from the first time they had met. His eyes were just so gentle and light spirited she couldn't help getting close to him. Terra could honestly say that Beast Boy was the first true friend she had ever had, so when he had asked her out on a date, she had been surprised to say the least, and with the threat of Slade's robot army approaching it was easy to say her mind was less than clear.

Turning him down had hurt him, she saw that, but she had little time to dwell on it. Packing her things, Terra stared at the glue covered mirror box he had presented to her and felt her heart grow warm. She was never going to see them again. Once the robot army had weakened them enough Slade intended to come and finish the job.

After that night, the Teen Titans would fall; Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, even Beast Boy would have all been destroyed. This realization had frightened Terra. She would be sad about the fate of her friends, but she couldn't stand to think about never seeing Beast Boy again. It hurt to even think about never seeing his smile again, never hearing another of his jokes, never seeing sparkle in his eye. So she escaped with him. She had figured that as long as she had Beast Boy, she would never be alone again.

She told him that she wanted to go on a date and he trusted her without a second's hesitation. She took him to all of her favorite places she had found as a traveler, and they had an amazing time. It felt like an actual date. She was almost able to forget what was happening back at the Tower. _Almost._ But all too soon, Slade had found out about her treachery, and crushed her illusion of a happy care free night with Beast Boy under his steel boot.

She would never forget the look of pain in Beast Boy's face when he learned of her treachery. Not as long as she lived. It was worse than any punishment Slade had given her for ruining his plan, and oh boy did he punish her, because once again… she was alone.

Not deterred for long, Slade easily concocted another plan to destroy the Titans and this time he had insurance to keep her in line; the interface suit. Terra followed her mission this time without remorse. She individually cut down each and every Teen Titan, completely voiding herself of all emotion to get the job done.

After the Titans' fall, taking control of the city had been a piece of cake. Slade's drones roamed the streets and she worked as his avatar destroying and scaring all of the cities inhabitants. She had done what Slade had asked, achieving the perfect control she had soot after for so long… and she had never been more alone.

This was her fate: to live life always alone and always be hated. She was exactly where she was belonged. Patrolling the city streets, Terra performed her duties in a perpetual emotional fog. Nothing just seemed to matter anymore.

Seeing the Teen Titans return gave her the first real emotion she had in weeks. Too bad it was _fear_. Emerging from the mist, each Titan's eyes held the hatred and she had been running from for so long. It seemed even with all the control in the world, Terra still found herself unable to escape that soul-retching glare.

They attacked and overwhelmed her as easily as any other villain they would have faced for that is all she was to them now, just a villain. No more mercy and no more forgiveness.

Unable to cope with the combinations of her friends heated glares and unrelenting beating, Terra retreated to the only person she had left, Slade, but upon her return Terra's hopes for any sort of comfort were met with a slap to the face.

He hadn't cared what her reasons were; she was now only a defective weapon that refused to operate correctly. Using the neural interface suit he had conned her into, Slade worked her limbs and powers as easily a puppeteer worked strings. For Terra, it had become a nightmare that would never end.

The one thing she had acquired from following this madman had been stripped from her without remorse. She might have even found it ironically humorous if it wasn't for the retching guilt that had begun to pile in her heart. Before she knew it, Terra was helpless as her body was flung across the room in a battle to the death against her one true friend Beast Boy. Unfortunately, Slade's control had proved to be to much as she had begun to take the upper hand.

As Terra stood surrounded by her ex-teammates holding a large boulder overhead poised to crush their friend to a pulp. Everywhere she looked, Terra saw that glare. Left, right, Cyborg, Starfire, everywhere it glare, glare, glare! It began to break her down mentally as it stripped her of all rational thought but also giving her the push she need to break free momentarily from Slade's control and strike back in one final burst of free will and ending his life, and in the process, _her own._

To right every wrong she had done, Terra sacrificed her life in order to save the city and her friends. Bidding farewell to her friends, Terra took her chance to get the last hug she would ever share with her green companion and so overcome by the tragic events leading up to the moment Terra crushed her body close to Beast Boy's and whispered to him the only truth she had ever known; that he was the best friend she had ever had.

After she saw her friends safely escape the unstable volcanic cavern, Terra's body began to burn alight with her yellow geokinetic powers and released it all in a single burst, pushing her powers past their limit and turning herself to stone. The only comfort Terra found as her life drained away was that in her death her crimes against her friends might be absolved, and that soon her long life of pain and fear would come to an end.

But alas as Terra soon found that she would be denied even the peaceful slumber of death as she awoke in that empty barren wasteland where she had laid enmeshed for two unbearable years. And so once again, Terra found herself alone.

But Terra escaped, she did the impossible: she escaped death! And she returned to Beast Boy's side just as she had dreamed all those lonely days shed spent as a statue. To her, there had been no other options. Because as long as she had Beast Boy… nothing else mattered. As long as she has Beast Boy, she wouldn't be alone. As long as she had Beast Boy…

Feeling a cold sweat break across her forehead, Terra stilled her thundering footsteps as she looked around. The hallway's walls and floors began expanding and contracting, swirling in all directions, blending into a confusing and dizzying frenzy. So lost in her memories, Terra had not been paying attention to her direction and found herself lost deep in Titans Tower.

Beginning to panic at the confusion swirling around her, Terra tried desperately to find her bearings and keep her breathing under control. Unfortunately, the haunting memories of the past still fresh in her mind continued to assault her fragile mind, causing her confusion and hallucinations to worsen by the second.

_Where am I?! Where is everyone else?! Where's Beast Boy?! I need him! I need to apologize! I need, I need…_completely losing herself to panic, Terra raced through the maze of hallways in a blind panic. She had to find someone, anyone, as long as she wasn't alone, anything but being alone again. Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, hell, she'd even take Raven at this point. But more than anyone, Terra wanted Beast Boy. Dashing in desperation, Terra failed to notice the green figure she was rapidly approaching. Smashing into him at full speed, Terra and Beast Boy were sent flying from the force of the impact landing on top of each other in a painful crash.

Groaning in pain, Beast Boy raised his head just enough to identify the large mat of blond hair that rested on his chest. "Terra?" he asked still slightly jarred.

As Terra groggily lifted her head at the sound of another voice, her eyes widened in disbelief as her confusion lifted from her mind, replacing itself with the image of her with her missing boyfriend, finally in her arms.

Gripping two fistfuls of his purple and black hero suit, Terra fought to decipher the emotions that were screaming behind her shocked and gaping face. "Where have you been?!" she demanded bashing his already shooken head with her fist. Gripping on to his collar even tighter, Terra accentuated her rage by shaking him without mercy. "Do you have any idea just how long I've been looking for you?! Do you have any idea just how big this stupid tower really is?! My feet are killing me! And you have the guts to be just strolling around?" she asked in a quieter voice slowing her furious throttling. "Well you better have a damn good excuse for avoiding me for all this time…" she spoke in a scared almost hesitant voice."Because if I said or, or did anything that upset you, your supposed to tell me, cuz' how else am I supposed to apologize?" she muttered hesitantly. By now Terra had all but stilled her shaking hands, reducing the once world spinning attack to a harmless rocking motion.

No longer subjected to his girlfriend's fury, Beast Boy was free to see just how shaken the girl truly had become in his absence. Searching her face, he could clearly see tears brimming to the surface in eyes that refused to look at him. Her voice that usually held nothing but sunshine and bravado now squeaked quieter than a church mouse, and her fists, while no longer trying to kill him, had not lost an ounce of power in their grip almost as if she were afraid he'd disappear into thin air if she did not hold on with all her strength. All of it was… worrying. He knew that she cared for him greatly, but to think that his actions could have this much of an effect of one person was actually scary. Was this what love was? Is this what it meant to give your heart to a person and trust them with your soul? He was honestly and truly scared as he finally began to realize what the weight of being in a relationship truly was. Placing his gloved hand over Terra's, Beast Boy searched for the words, any words that could placate her, but was silenced as his action caused Terra to finally turn her head meeting his eyes with her own.

"I'm sorry," she demurely spoke, staring deep into his eyes. "What ever I did, I'm sorry and if you tell me what it was, I promise to never do it again. Just please, please don't leave me alone… don't hate me," Terra begged sorrowfully. Releasing his shirt for the briefest of seconds, Terra through her body against Beast Boy's in a desperate tear-filled hug, soaking his shirt.

Frozen, Beast Boy sat silently, unable to respond to her plea for answers. Where had his anger gone? He had been so set on learning what she was hiding from him and yet now seeing her like this… it was all gone, replaced by an unexplainable need to reassure her. Conflicted, Beast Boy slowly clasped Terra's shaking shoulders and fought to decide weather he should break Terra's embrace and confront her of her secrets or return her warm albeit wet hug and console her of any doubts and fears as he always had. Gripping Terra's shoulders even tighter, Beast Boy knew his decision was made before he even thought it. Terra needed him, and no matter what, he would stand by her side. "You're right. I was kinda avoiding you," he sadly admitted, pulling his arms around her thin form. "Watching you get lay in that hospital bed for five days, not knowing when you were going to wake up killed me," he continued, confusing Terra with what correlation the two sentences had. "After Cyborg kicked me out, I was just so happy that you were gonna be okay that it made me start to think… about us. You can't know how free I felt knowing you were going to be ok. It was like the world was lifted from my shoulders. I was so happy… it scared me," he finished, doing his best to sound convincing.

It seemed to convincing enough to Terra, as soon as she heard his false admittance, she immediately pulled her head away from his tear-soaked shirt to look confusedly into his eyes imploring him to explain. "Why would you be scared that you were happy?"

Steeling his courage to continue, Beast Boy and his emotional mask nearly faltered when Terra's begging eyes came into view. He wasn't a good liar, and he probably never would be, but he'd already lied to her once and he wasn't going to let it be for nothing. "Because, it wasn't until I thought I'd lost you that I realized how much you meant to me." Taking a deep breath, Beast Boy forced his eyes to meet Terra's intent on conveying his feelings to her, real or not. "I love you." Hearing his girlfriend's quick intake of breath, Beast Boy justified his words by telling himself that eventually he was sure he would truly love Terra and for all he knew he already did, _I mean who really knows anyway right? _But right now, Terra needed to hear it. She needed him, she needed to hear those words, she needed to believe that he felt the same way about her that she did for him, and it was his duty as a good boyfriend to make her as happy as possible, even if that meant telling a lie or two. Staring at Terra's face, Beast Boy watched as her hand began to drift down to his face stroking and petting it so gently it was hard to tell just where it was that he was being touched.

Gasping at her boyfriend's proclamation of love, Terra felt her heart pounding felt in her chest as her fears of abandonment and rejection turned into one of her most fantasized dreams. Had she heard right? Did Beast Boy really just say that he loved her? The reason he'd been avoiding her for two whole days was just because he was shy? He didn't… hate her? It was almost too good to be true. If not for the aching pains in her head from the crash she had experienced moments ago, she'd have sworn she'd swear she had been knocked out. Reaching out shakily, Terra traced Beast Boy's face with her fingers, almost cradling it in her hand. How could she have doubted him? They were soul mates; meant to be together to the end of time. He would never abandon her. Never. "I love you too," she whispered. Using their precarious position to her advantage, Terra lowered her face to his, brushing her lips against his repeatedly, whispering her words of love over and over.

Staring at Terra's face, Beast Boy watched as her hand began to drift down to his face stroking and petting it so gently it was hard to tell just where it was that he was being touched. He heard her whisper the words _I love you too, _and theybegan to echo through out his head in a never-ending swirl of guilt and rueful happiness. Not soon after, he felt Terra's lips on his own. What was once a very enjoyable experience had now turned uncomfortable and forced. No matter how hard he tried to return Terra's passion, the constant echo of Terra's voice in his head left him unable to perform his usual eager lip locking skills and left him with those of a dead fish. Did he do the right thing? _I love you too. _He and Raven couldn't possibly ever be a couple, right? _I love you too._ Wasn't Terra's happiness the only thing that mattered? _I love you too. _Didn't this make him a good boyfriend? _I love you too._

…_but why does this feel so wrong?_

Silencing her words of love, Terra began to notice how unusually lackluster and almost unresponsive her boyfriend's lips were. Ignoring it, Terra continued the kiss, deciding to put enough passion into it for the both of them. As long as she had Beast Boy, nothing else mattered. As long as she has Beast Boy, she wouldn't be alone. As long as she had Beast Boy… the rest of world could burn.

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'm really going to try to update faster sorry it took so long this week. If you did enjoy the chapter please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: hey guys I know a lot of you are kinda annoyed by how slow I'm updating so I wrote this chapter as my longest one yet, just for you. Who says I don't love my readers? As always this chapter was betaed by ****Necronom Hezberek Mortix**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

* * *

"How does it feel?" Cyborg asked, examining the last remnants of Raven's fading injury. Looking closer, Cyborg still found himself amazed at just how quickly Raven's magic had managed to heal her body in just a matter of days. What was once a horrible gaping hole punched through his friend's abdomen had almost entirely disappeared, leaving a small circular scar of discolored skin, which Cyborg was sure would disappear in a few days.

Flexing her abdomen muscles, Raven tested the state of her injury and was satisfied find nothing more than a dull ache. "Everything seems ok," she answered tiredly. Raven's exhaustion seemed ridiculous to her as she had already been sleeping for the better part of a week, but nevertheless, she continued to feel her eyelids fill with lead. "So did anything interesting happen since I've been out?" she inquired, trying to keep herself from falling asleep.

"Naw," Cyborg responded chuckling at her obvious exhaustion, "it's been pretty quiet." Retrieving Raven's bloody bandages, Cyborg threw them away in the trash before placing a precautionary bandage over her stomach. "Well, actually, Star was finally able to convince Robin to stop working himself to death," Cyborg reported shaking his head in amusement. "They've been locked in his office for most of the week, but Starfire's been coming out enough that she let me know." Satisfied that the bandage would do its job, Cyborg finished his examination, happy to see his friend's life no longer in danger,

Smiling at the news of her leader, Raven was happy to hear Starfire was able to pull Robin from his obsessive nature. They truly were a match like no other. "Starfire always has been impressive like that," Raven replied with a smirk.

"Girl's got skills when it comes to handling Robin. I doubt any of us could do it," Cyborg agreed with a chuckle. Helping her to her feet, Cyborg remembered another bit of information Raven might be interested in. "Apparently Beast Boy's been missing for the last three days." Seeing the height Raven's eyebrows shot up, Cyborg could see he was right.

"What do you mean missing?" she demanded now fully awake.

Laughing, Cyborg shook his head trying to show her not to worry. "Don't sweat it; he's not in any trouble or anything. It just looks like he's been running around the Tower." He admitted calming Raven's worries.

_What's that idiot doing now?_"Why would he be doing that?" Raven asked raising a suspicious eyebrow.

Shrugging his mechanical shoulders, Cyborg walked across the room ad began washing his hands clean in the sink. "Beats me, but from the way Terra was actin I'd have to say it looks like those two are in the middle of a fight."

Suddenly very interested, Raven fought the small smile that had begun creeping to her lips at the thought of Beast Boy running away from Terra. "Maybe Beast Boy's just trying to get a little alone time," she speculated as nonchalantly as possible.

"If they weren't fighting before, they're gonna be fighting soon. You should have seen Terra's face when she made me trace beast Boy's tracking signal. When she finds him, grass stain might actually become a grass stain. I bought the little guy some time by giving her the wrong coordinates, but Terra was practically tearing the Tower apart to find him earlier." Wiping his hands dry with a towel, Cyborg paused his action and turned to see Raven staring contemplatively into space. "You know I never really took you for the gossiping type, Rae," he commented with a chuckle.

Blushing in embarrassment, Raven shifted her eyes away from Cyborg's amused gaze and cursed the hoodless hospital gown for not allowing her to hide her whole face. "Just… curious," she shyly mumbled out.

"Whatever you say," he replied smiling obnoxiously. Ignoring the heated glare Raven had begun to send his way, Cyborg laughed himself across the medical room to the exit. "You're free to head back to your room by the way. Just take it easy for a few more days and you'll be back to smacking BB around in no time… if Terra doesn't get to him first," he added after a second of thought. Giving a small wave over his shoulder, Cyborg exited the room.

Watching her friend's back as he left the room, Raven sighed as she tried once again to shake the sleep haze clouding her mind. She still couldn't believe that after her brief and rather agitated conversation with Terra; she had continued to sleep for another whole three days. _I guess my body took more damage than I thought..._Motivated by the thought of returning to her room, Raven shuffled across the room, shedding her uncomfortable hospital type gown and replacing it with some clothing someone had been kind enough to bring her while she had slept.

Slipping out side of the room, Raven silently walked the halls intent on relaxing in the confines of her beloved room. Absentmindedly watching the wall panels around her crawl past, Ravens mind couldn't help but wander back to the conversation she and Cyborg had been having but moments ago. What could Beast Boy be hiding from? Were he and Terra really having a fight? The idea seemed to appeal to Raven more than it should.

But as appealing as the idea was, it was also equally surprising. As naïve as it was to say, Raven had always assumed they would be the perfect couple; they were always smiling and never arguing, just like Starfire and Robin. Sure they've had their spats, some even resulting in a starbolt or two being thrown, but Raven could honestly say she's never seen then angry at each other longer than a few hours. One could even get a little envious if you paid too much attention. So now hearing that Beast Boy and Terra had fought so badly that it caused Beast Boy to actually flee… it was kinda bittersweet.

The fact that Terra was out there somewhere in the Tower out of her mind looking for him brought a small whimsical smile to her face, but then remembering how Beast Boy must have been feeling to do such a thing, Raven wiped it away immediately.

What was Terra doing? The whole reason Raven had given up on Beast Boy was because she knew,_ knew_, that when it came down to it, Terra was the one that would make Beast Boy happy, but now… she wasn't so sure.

Raven stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening at the implications of that thought. She had been so sure, so positive that Terra was the only one who could make Beast Boy happy. She completely disregarded the chance that… that she might have been the one who could have made him happy.

With narrowed eyes, Raven continued walking down her path. How could she have just rolled over? Why hadn't she fought for him even just a little? Freezing in front of her door, Raven wrestled the decision to enter her room and forget about Beast Boy just as she had all up to this point, or… she could fight, she could be the one who has the power to make Beast Boy happy. The very idea caused Raven to retract her hand from the door. If she was going to do this… she needed to ask herself if she truly was ready to take this risk. It would be messy… and she knew that it was most likely going to end with her being the one hurt, but… if it turned in her favor…

Pulling out her T-Com Raven quickly activated the positioning system to find Beast Boy, which Terra seemed to have blatantly forgotten, and too her surprise found the small blinking dot moving. _Well, at least I know he's wearing it. _Tapping her foot, still unsure, Raven finally made her decision breaking into a fast pace away from her room.

Tracking the dot on the screen, Raven slowed her pace to a stop as she came to the Titans Tower common room. Double checking her T-com, Raven stared doubtfully at the door in front of her. _Even Beast Boy's not stupid enough to try and hide here. _Opening the door, Raven found herself wrong.

Walking in, she looked at Beast Boy lazily relaxing in front of their TV, one arm sprawled behind him resting on the back of the couch, and a leg resting on his knee. Too stunned to speak, Raven just stood quietly until finally Beast Boy turned his head and took notice of her.

"Raven!" he loudly exclaimed. Jumping off the couch he quickly ran to her side. "You're ok!" he yelled, smiling brighter than the sun.

Blushing at Beast Boy's sudden attention, Raven smiled shyly, unsure how to respond. In all her bravado about challenging Terra and fighting for Beast Boy, she forgot one important detail; she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. "Yeah, ah Cyborg told me I'm all healed now," she offered placing a hand over her wound.

Noticing the motion, Beast Boys eyes traveled down to Raven's hand adopting a sad, regretful expression that Raven just couldn't understand. "You know I never thanked you, for what you did for Terra, I mean," he spoke returning his eyes to her face but keeping that same confused expression.

Suddenly nervous for a whole different reason, Raven felt herself begin to fidget searching for anyway to change the subject. "I didn't do anything special… she's part of the team," she spoke brushing it off completely. "What about you? You got injured too, how are you doing?" she asked happy to switch to another topic. Seeing his expression change, Raven silently noted how the brightness in his reassuring smile didn't quiet reach the one he previously held.

"That healed days ago, no worries," smiling confidently, he spoke a little happy to hear her concerned about him. Seeing her slightly uncomfortable, Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Is everything ok? You seem a little off."

Shifting her eyes away, Raven blushed as she scrambled for something to say. _Hey I heard you and your girlfriend have been having some problems so I thought I might try and steal you while she's not looking… yea that'll go over great. _Awkwardly reaching out, Raven placed her hand on Beast Boy's shoulder trying her best to look compassionate. "I ah, heard you were having some problems with Terra." Wincing even as she said it, Raven prayed she wasn't acting like an idiot.

Feeling the warmth of Raven's hand seep into his shoulder, Beast Boy barely heard her talk as his entire body immediately went on high alert. Completely unsure on what to say, Beast Boy struggled to let out a half way intelligible response, which mostly consisted of "ahhhh…"

"Beast Boy, I'm back! I found that movie I was talking abou-" freezing mid sentence, Terra stared wide-eyed at the sight in front of her. Crossing her arms, Terra's eyes turned ice cold as she examined the scene before her. "Hello Raven," she spoke venomously.

Shocked to see Terra standing in the doorway, Raven took on the appearance of something very close to a deer in the headlights. Having common sense, she immediately pulled her hand away from Beast Boy's shoulder and watched silently as Terra's eyes narrowed. With no real explanation, Raven really had only one thought crossing her mind._ I'm going to kill Cyborg._

"H-hey Terra, look Raven's back," Beast Boy spoke stupidly and unsuccessfully trying to break the awkward silence. Knowing exactly what was going on, he really had no idea what to do. Primal instincts kicking in, Beast Boy did the smartest thing he'd ever done in his life, he shut up.

"Yippy," she dryly answered after a long stretch of time. The time of Terra caring about Raven's opinion had ended. They weren't friends and they were never going to be. Right now, Raven was just an obstacle. Striding into the room, Terra completely ignored Raven's presence, focusing only on Beast Boy with a tight forced smile. "Why don't we go watch this in my room? It's a little crowded in here."

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Beast Boy stood helplessly as Terra began to physically move him towards the door. Casting a nervous glance in Raven's direction, Beast Boy gave in, allowing Terra to lead him without resistance.

Pausing in her steps, Terra smiled smugly as she thought of the perfect idea. Turning to Beast Boy, she threw her arms around him getting the perfect angle to see Raven's glaring face. "I love you," she cooed into Beast Boy's ear, never breaking eye contact with Raven.

Mouth agape in disbelief, Beast Boy stuttered in shock. What was Terra doing? She knew how Raven felt and she was still trying to hurt her. Blatantly hurt her. Feeling a spark of anger at her underhanded move, Beast Boy knew he could not say a thing less he expose his eavesdropping and stir up a whole different kind of trouble. "I love you too," he whispered in defeat. Unable to look at Raven's face, he quickly sought to escape the room. This time, he dragged Terra along.

Watching the couple leave the room, Raven listlessly drifted over to the couch dropping onto it like a sack of potatoes. _This… was a good thing. Not only was Cyborg wrong about them fighting but… he loves her. He said he loves her, and she loves him. Yea, this is a good thing. It just means she'll go back to the way things were. Beast Boy will be happy with Terra, And I will… will…_

"No," Raven whispered defiantly. She'd said she wanted to fight; Terra just threw the first punch. Everything might not be like she thought it was going to be, but that didn't mean she had to give up. Standing from the couch Raven lost her pathetic, sad eyes and adopted a fierce battle ready expression showing no fear. _Game on, bitch._

xXx

Shaking his head angrily, Beast Boy looked back at his girlfriend and was even more upset to see her, cat that ate the canary, expression. For someone who had just hurt a friend, she seemed rather pleased with herself. Not wanting to look at her, Beast Boy found his mind beginning to worry for his friend Raven. What Terra had done was totally uncalled for. Looking back, he remembered her words when she had placed her hand on his shoulder and blushed. _Was she… hitting on me?_

"Beast Boy, slow down! What's got you in such a bad mood?" Terra complained running up beside him.

Sighing, Beast boy remembered his responsibilities and placed a happy, goofy smile on his face, muttering some excuse he forgot the second after he said it. What ever he said it must have worked as Terra grabbed onto his arm clinging to him as she was accustomed to doing. Letting his smile slip a bit, Beast Boy felt the stress of the situation tighten in his shoulders_. When did being with Terra start to feel like such a job? _He idly wondered.

xXx

Awaking with a groan, Robin stretched his sore limbs, and retreated over to his bedside for his mask. Looking to his right, he found himself smiling as he observed the sight of his girlfriend resting peacefully underneath their covers. They had been working themselves to the bone yielding little to no results until Starfire had demanded that they sleep. Deciding to let his worry wart of a girlfriend rest a bit longer, Robin carefully left the queen sized bed walking over to his computer to see if it found anything worth reading while he'd slept. Rubbing the sleep from his face, his fingers began clacking on the keyboard surprised to see the computer had gotten a hit on what he was searching for. Eyes wide, Robin quickly opened the box and read the subject title. "Nothing," he swore in frustration.

Hearing a familiar beep come from across the room, Robin whipped his head around to see Starfire awake and alert. Running over to his T-com, Robin immediately saw the alert message sprawled across the screen. "Round two," he growled out in tense anticipation. "Be ready to move in two minutes," he ordered Starfire. Getting a quick nod, she quickly sped off to prepare for the upcoming battle. Shifting his attention back to his T-com, Robin switched the controls to multi-communication. "Everyone, meet in the common room now," he barked loudly to his comrades. Not bothering to wait for confirmation, he quickly shut the communication device, and dashed to get ready.

With years of experience under his belt, Robin was ready and speeding to the common room in a matter of seconds. Double checking his utility belt, Robin burst into the room happy to see all his teammates already there waiting for him.

"What do we got?" Beast Boy questioned as Robin pulled the information from the computer.

"Unknown villain, again," Robin reported narrowing his eyes. "And it looks like whoever it is, is attacking an… all you can eat buffet…"

"Boo-yah," Cyborg celebrated smiling hungrily at the news. "Now that's a considerate villain," he complimented, comically getting a fork and knife ready, a big, twisted grin on his face.

"Cyborg, head in the game! For all we know it could be Lilly again. We all need to be on high alert." As he turned to his teammates, Robin's eyes slanted worriedly as he spotted Raven. "Um, Rae? I think it might be a good idea if you sat this one out. I mean, you're still healing," he advised.

Narrowing her eyes at her leader's suggestion, Raven refused to be left out. "I'm fine. Cyborg gave me the clear this morning," she argued.

"I also said you should take it easy for a few days," Cyborg reminded her.

"I'm fine," Raven insisted. "Besides, if it really is Lilly don't you need all the help you can get?" she bargained.

Looking conflicted, Robin thought about it before shaking his head no. "I'm not going to risk you getting hurt even worse than before just because we didn't wait until you're fully healed. I'm sorry, Raven," he apologized looking honestly apologetic.

Frustrated beyond belief, Raven stood there searching for anyone who would support her but found none. Ready to turn around and sulk in her room, Raven looked behind her in shock as someone actually defended her.

"Dudes, we can't go on out there without Raven," Beast Boy yelled indignantly.

"Beast Boy, if we let her go out she could get hurt, we don't want that do we?" he asked rhetorically.

"If we're talking about people getting hurt, I'd be worried about this body jumping nut case, I feel bad for anyone who messes with her." He spoke boastfully shooting her a thumbs up.

Flipping open his T-com, Robin knew they were running short of time and didn't have the time to argue. "Fine," he barked out angrily. "Raven you can go, but you're support only. Stay behind us and only join if it looks like were in trouble. Got that," he asked. "Titans, GO," Robin shouted, animating his teammates into action.

Flying along side her friends, Raven looked over at Beast Boy, her face slightly shining with happiness. "Thanks," she spoke with a smile.

"Yea, thanks a lot," Terra tartly added from behind.

Ignoring his girlfriend, Beast Boy returned his friend's smile; happy that he was of help. "I'll always have your back, Rae," he confided. "Besides… I owe you." Seeing her smile at him, Beast Boy watched the flutter of her cape as she sped ahead shooting past most of the group. _More than I can say__._

Watching her boyfriend stare after Raven, Terra grit her teeth in anger. _That stupid witch had lied right to my face when she told me she wasn't trying to go after Beast Boy. Good thing I didn't believe her for a second_. Glaring, she continued to watch Beast Boy plotting ahead of time what she was going to have to do to nip this little annoyance in the butt.

xXx

Applying the breaks to his R-cycle, Robin felt the screeching of his tired as the burned against the asphalt below him. Removing his helmet, he quickly surveyed the scene happy to see civilians lolling about safe and staring curiously into a restaurant with the doors smashed in. Compared to the empty destruction he'd found on the last mission; this was a welcomed sight. "Get ready," he ordered as the rest of the team arrived. After confirming everyone's position, the team silently crept to the building's opening, and was welcomed by the sound of a swarm of feeding pigs.

Giving the signal, Robin and the rest of the team burst into the ransacked restaurant ready for battle but found themselves struggling to hold down their breakfast as they came upon the sight in front of them.

Hunched over one of the many buffet tables was the most overweight man any of the Titans had ever seen shoveling handful after handful of food down his gullet, dripping anything that didn't fit into his cavern like mouth onto his already stained and caked shirt. The Titans cringed as they watched him chew an entire tray of French fries in one go; smacking his lips and giggling, causing food chunks to spew everywhere.

"Dude, there called carbs," Beast Boy sarcastically remarked staring at the man in disbelief.

"This is most disturbing," Starfire spoke placing a hand over her mouth in sickness.

Stepping forward, Robin regarded the sickening individual as any other villain. "Step away from the food," he ordered with authority. Undeterred, the obese man continued to feed, Robin's orders going completely unheard.

Feeling his temper rise, Robin took another step forward just far enough to avoid the flying spittle. "You've been caught destroying privet property and trespassing. I'm placing you under arrest so again, step away from the food now!"

Once again the man continued to ignore Robin's demands and continued to stuff his face grabbing a ladle and started to pour gravy straight into his mouth, gurgling and spilling over all down his flabby cheeks.

Seeing that his leader was about to lose his cool, Cyborg stepped up avoiding the puddles of forgotten food. "Come on, big guy, dinner's over," he spoke in a stern tone. Having approached the feeding man, Cyborg placed a hand on his giant gelatinous shoulder in hopes to get his attention but immediately sensed impending danger. Seeing the man's neck muscles tense under many folds of fat, Cyborg failed to dodge as the man's food caked fist backhanded him into a near by wall.

As if coming out of some kind of daze, the man looked up from his feast for the first time since the Titans had entered the eating establishment. "Hey guys. What's up?" he asked in a kind tone. Slightly put off by the man's non-threatening demeanor, Robin found himself unable to respond.

"You're ah, kinda under arrest," Beast Boy spoke slowly as if to a child.

Looking as if he'd just had his puppy kicked, the man's round face crinkled into an expression of pain. "Wha'd I do?" he demanded childishly. Standing from his crouched position, the Titans had to take a few steps back as the man came to his full height.

"You broke into an innocent man's place of business and ate all his food," Robin informed stepping up to the giant like man.

Turning red in the face, the man began to huff and puff letting out indignant little squeaks that sounded like the beginning of words. "I was hungry!" He finally shouted out. "Besides I was gonna pay, honest! I just ah, got a little exited when I saw all the food is all," he spoke embarrassedly. Attempting to reach into his pockets, the man began to desperately search for something but found, himself unable to access his pants due to the large roles of fat that had rolled under his yellow food and drool stained t-shirt and over his tan cargo pants that looked to be strained past maximum capacity. After fumbling for over two minutes, the man finally worked around his body weight pulling an extremely squished wallet out of his back pocket. "Here take it. There's money in there right?"

Unused to this kind of situation, Robin cautiously took the wallet grimacing as he found it just as messy as the rest of the man. Opening it, Robin first pulled out his driver's license and was shocked to see a much, much skinnier version of the man in front of him; easily five hundred pounds lighter. But some how, Robin was still able to recognize him by his sandy blond hair and muddy brown eyes. _Someone let himself go. _Looking over the rest of the license Robin looked at the man's info. Name: Larry. Age: 27. Pulling out all the money in the man's wallet Robin shook his head. "This won't pay for the damages you caused. And the manager is still pressing charges so we still have to arrest you. I'm sorry, Larry," he apologized using the name on the license. Curiously, Robin watched as Larry's eyes scrunched up in confusion.

"That's not my name, stupid! My name's Max," Max informed with a frown on his big chubby lips.

"But according to your wallet, your name is Larry," Robin enquired the childish man.

Falling back down on his butt, Max gave a huff of exhaustion and looked at Robin like he was the most stupid person on the planet. "Well duuuh, that's probably the name of whoever's body this is," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing the world.

Hearing this all of the Teen Titans went on high alert. "You wanna explain that big guy?" Cyborg spoke threateningly, coming out of the hole in the wall.

"And I'd watch your words very carefully if I were you," Raven added in with a glare.

Seeing the scary looking people begin to gather around him, Max began to panic, wanting nothing to do with them and get back to his meal. Getting back on his feet, Max looked around in a panic before he gave a yell, charging ahead aimlessly. Having the all the speed of a charging snail, Robin and the rest of the Titans easily dodged his wayward attack leaving him to harmlessly crash through a wall into the next building. Disoriented from the head first collision, Max wobbled around confusedly, searching where the Titans might have escaped to.

Seeing his opportunity, Robin quickly dashed behind Max's large frame and applied an easily distributed smack at the base of his gargantuan skull. Watching him crash into the floor with the force of a tank, Robin sighed in relief as the situation was handled before anyone, mainly the body, was seriously damaged. Looking around he saw his teammates had also gathered around the body, "He might have valuable information on Lilly if he has it. And even if he doesn't, he'll at least be able to tell us how their taking bodies and maybe even how to stop it. We need to take him back to the Tower to interrogate him."

"But Robin, if there was another who has the ability to take a person's body…" Starfire started.

"Who knows how many there are that are doing it," Terra continued with wide eyes as she realized the extent of the issue.

"For now, all we're going to worry about is getting as much information as possible from this guy," he spoke with narrowed eyes. "Beast Boy, I need you to help Cyborg, Terra, and Starfire get this guy to the Tower." Robin asked.

"Ahhhh…" Beast Boy drawled just imagining the pain his back was going to feel.

"Thanks," Robin said not waiting for his reply, and began walking out of the room.

"Robin," Raven stepped forward cutting off her leader's path. "What about me? I can help them get him to the Tower," Raven insisted. Looking over Robin's shoulder she could already see his friends struggle to lift max's giant weight. "It looks like they'll need it."

"Sorry Raven, but I need you with me when I talk to the police. I need to tell them were going to take Max into custody and interrogate him. It makes civilians feel safer when I have a teammate by me," Robin informed Raven. Raven knew he was only singling her out because he still believed she was injured, but Raven nodded her head in acceptance and followed her leader outside to meet with the police.

xXx

Glaring at the monitor in front of him, Robin stared at the picture of Max still unconscious and heavily restrained in Titans Tower's interrogation room. As Robin continued to stare unblinkingly waiting for the slightest movement to appear, Cyborg strolled into the room sighing exhaustedly.

"Is he ready to begin questioning?" Robin asked not even bothering to look in his direction.

Rotating his shoulder blades, Cyborg mimicked the motion of having pulled a muscle. "Fwooh, he let out an exhausted breath."Man I didn't think we'd ever get that guy in here, let alone find a big enough chair," he joked hoping to get Robin to crack a smile.

Unmoved by his friends joke, Robin simply repeated his question. "Is he ready for interrogation?"

Sighing, Cyborg shook his head as he realized how useless it was to even try. "Yea man, just need to wait for him to wake up… but…"

Turning to his friend, Robin glared at the prospect of any kind of interference. "But what Cyborg?" he demanded.

Looking conflicted, Cyborg shifted his eye, unsure how to voice his thoughts. "He seemed a little… off at the restaurant don't you think?"

Not changing his expression Robin continued to glare. "What do you mean" he asked for clarification.

Sighing yet again, Cyborg scratched his head deciding to just be direct. "Robin don't you think he seemed a little slow… mentally? I'm telling you man he was actin like a kid or somthin'."

Continuing to glare, Robin turned back to the monitor. "I don't see how that's relevant. He knows information that we need, and we're doing to going to do what we have to, to get it."

Before Cyborg could get the chance to voice his displeasure, Robin stood up from his chair. "He's awake." Stomping over to the door, he suddenly felt a cold metal hand on his shoulder.

"Just don't do anything you'll regret man."

Silently, Robin shook off his friend's hand and entered the interrogation room. "Hello Max. How are you," he spoke with cold indifference.

Sitting alone and strapped down to a heavy metal chair, Max sat franticly looking around at his surrounding in a panicked confusion. "What's going on? Where am I?" he whimpered, already starting to gain tears in his eyes.

Walking to a chair adjacent to his bound captive, Robin sat down, calmly placing his gloved hands on the cold metal table between them and stared unblinkingly into Max's bloated face. Taking a deep breath, Robin waited patiently waiting for the suspense in the room to fill making his captive less clear minded by the second. _Just like you taught me_. Finally after five minutes of waiting, Max was ready.

"This is how things are going to work," Robin started out slowly. "I'm going to ask you questions, and your going to answer them. Understand," he asked with a glare.

"I'm hungry," Max yelled in response; tears now freely falling down his chubby cheeks.

"How are you stealing bodies," Robin started out calmly.

"I want food!" Max stared to yell.

"Why are you stealing bodies?"

"I want food!"

"Who is your leader?!"

"_Feed me!"_

"_What are your plans?!"_

"_I'm hungry!"_

"_Tell me what you know!"_

"_FOOD!" _Max screamed at the top of his lungs. Going into a full on tantrum, Max began thrashing in his bindings shaking his entire frame in hopeless and violent jerking motions that threatened to destroy the chair. "I'M HUNGRY! I WANT FOOD! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! I DON'T LIKE YOU! WHY AM I TIED TO A CHAIR?! WHY CANT I-."

BANG!

Slamming his fist on the metal table, Robin froze Max's tantrum and his rambling leaving him in a frightened silence… that is until he started crying.

"Wahhhhhhhhhh," Max screamed fighting his binding even harder than before.

"Stop that," Robin ordered losing control of the situation. He'd never been taught how to interrogate five year olds. "I said sto-," he demanded getting cut off by another scream of sorrow. "Hey-." He started only to be continually interrupted. Giving up, Robin slipped out of the room hoping that the overweight man-child would eventually tire himself out and calm down. Stepping back into the observation room, Robin grimaced as he found all his friends watching his entire ordeal through the monitor.

"You're gonna make a great dad some day, Rob," Beast Boy joked with a snicker.

Resisting the urge to hit the green grass stain, Robin sulked over to an empty chair and plopped himself down with a groan. "What's wrong with him?" he finally asked.

"I told you that he seemed weird when we saw him at the restaurant," Cyborg reminded him. "I don't think we can handle this guy like we usually do. He's just too much like a kid."

"I don't know how to interrogate kids," Robin reminded Cyborg.

"Maybe we do not need to interrogate him," Starfire spoke up making everyone turn their heads toward her.

"Starfire, he could know things that have the potential to save hundreds of lives. We have to," Raven responded.

"Yes but…" Starfire started. "Robin's interrogation has only succeeded in bring him to tears because he acts as a child, yes? So… should we not just treat him as one," Starfire spoke simply.

"What do you mean," Robin asked for further detail.

"If we show him kindness, would he not show us kindness in return?" Starfire asked innocently. "I believe that if we show him kindness, he would be more open to sharing with us the information we seek," Starfire firmly stated. "I shall return," she swore before rushing out of the room in search of who knows what.

Looking out the door, Robin shook his head at his girlfriend's positive thinking. _Starfire, sometimes you're too nice for your own good._"Anyone else have an idea," he asked open to idea's. Looking around he saw Terra raise her hand.

"I bet Raven could scare it out of him," she offered earning an ice-cold glare from said purple haired witch.

In spite of himself, Robin found himself smiling a little the joke. "How about we keep that for back up."

"I have returned," Starfire exclaimed as she burst back into the room. It seems the location she had flown off to was the kitchen for as she entered the room, she carried in her arms an entire refrigerators worth of food. The Teen Titans watched confused as she quickly snatched a pair of keys out of Robin's pockets and flew right into the interrogation room.

Entering the room, Starfire was happy to Max had stopped crying, and had settled down to soft whimpers. "Hello friend. I have heard that you are in need of nourishment," she cheerfully offered with a smile.

Max sat confused as he stared at his new visitor, but any suspicions he might have had about her immediately dissipated once he saw the large stack of food she was carrying. Licking his lips, he nodded his head franticly.

As Starfire placed the food she had gathered down on the room's table, her smiling face dropped into a look of serious concentration. " If you are to eat, I will need to release the constraints binding your arms. Do you promise to not try to escape or harm me?" she asked holding up the keys she had just snatched.

Robin watching through the monitor couldn't believe his ears as he heard his girlfriend's words. "Starfire, no! We can't just trust that he isn't going to attack because he said so," Robin explained after bursting into the room.

As Starfire turned to face Robin, her eyes locked with his with an unexplainable emotion. "I am not asking you to trust his word, but I am asking you to trust mine," she stated, sweeping away any further complains he might have had. Seeing his reluctant nod, Starfire returned her attention back to her obese friend to see his face scrunched up in displeasure as he stared at Robin. "Max, do you promise to cooperate if I release your hands so you may eat?" she once again asked.

Returning his attention back to the nice lady, Max eagerly nodded his head again, hoping that the mean man in the funny mask would go away like last time. Almost hopping in his chair from excitement, Max waited eagerly as the lady undid his restraints, allowing him to finally reach for the food he'd been waiting for.

"Not yet," Starfire reprimanded as she slapped his hands away from the food pile. "First you must answer Robin's questions," she declared bringing a very unhappy grunt to emerge from the child-like man.

Stepping forward, Robin once again loomed over Max in a very threatening manner. "Why are you stealing bodies?" he repeated his earlier question. As Robin watched Max shrink back into his chair, he was surprised as he felt a firm but not damaging blow to the back of his head.

"You must ask nicely," Starfire demanded giving him a pointed look. Robin looked at her stupefied as she handed him a slice of pie motioning form him to ask his question again.

First looking down at the pie and them back at Starfire, Robin awkwardly turned back to Max hating the new and uncomfortable situation he'd found himself in. "If you tell me why you stole that body… I'll let you have this piece of pie," he forced out through clenched teeth.

Happy to his tormentor so uncomfortable, Max wanted to see it even more. "What flavor is the pie?" he cheekily asked grinning widely at Robin's expression.

Feeling his left eye begin to twitch in anger, Robin looked back at Starfire for support but only received a shooing motion saying that he should answer. "Cherry…" he hissed out ready to throw the pie in Max's face.

The allure of pie overriding his hatred for the masked man, Max relented his teasing and actually tried his beast to answer the question. "Because mine stopped working," he answered with a frown. Putting his hands out for his reward, a small amount of his smile returned as Starfire plucked the pie out of Robin's hands giving it to him and even stroked his head kindly.

Excited at the progress however small, Robin quickly snatched another item of food from the table and waited for Max to finally finish devouring his pie in five seconds flat. "Can you tell me how you got the power to take other people's bodies?" he inquired, waving a plate filled with hamburgers in front of his face.

Watching the meat as if it was a hypnotist wheel, Max swallowed the last of his pie, eager to cram his face with more delectable goodies. "I ah, I just stepped into the hole… and then I was here," he answered in a distracted tone. Once Starfire handed him his plate he turned ecstatic and giggled contently as Starfire continued her motherly caress.

Robin was happy to finally start getting answers but wished they made more sense. Grabbing yet another food item, Robin was determined to get an answer that would help their investigation. "Where is this hole? Do you think you could lead us too it?" he asked not even waiting for Max to finish his burgers.

Freezing mid meal, Max looked up at Robin with an expression that could only be described as pure terror. Max threw his plate, shattering it and scattering his once prized meal all throughout the room. Shaking his head, he gripped his head as if in extreme pain. "Can't go back. Can't go back. Can't go back," he continued to chant, repeating himself over and over.

Alarmed, Starfire immediately tried her best to console Max in his panicked state, murmuring Tamaranian words in a calming voice. "What's wrong? Why can't you go back? Where is the hole?" Robin demanded desperate for more information.

Breathing shuddering breaths, Max slowly looked up from his panic and stared dead center into Robin's eyes. "The white place," he whispered as if it were hell itself.

Back in the observation room, Terra gasped wide-eyed as Max's response, which did not go unnoticed by any individual in the room.

Witnessing the fear in Max's eyes, Robin felt a bit of apprehension himself about what the 'white place' must be. Keeping eye contact, Robin slowly walked over to Max placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Max, I promise you don't have to go back to the white place, but I need you to tell me how to get there. How did you get there?" he asked, pleading for an intelligent response.

Relieved to hear that he didn't have to go back to the white place, Max looked away from Robins eyes in deep thought. "I… I can't remember a lot from before the white place… but I do remember that, that I couldn't find food. Everywhere I looked I couldn't find any food. Nowhere, nothing. First there was no food… and then there was nothing." He spoke as if in a trance. And then he proceeded to cram every ounce of food into his gluttonous maw that he could fit.

Looking to Starfire for clarification, Robin sighed in disappointment as Starfire showed she hadn't the faintest clue what it could mean. "Can you tell me what than means?" Robin asked. Unfortunately his request fell on deaf ears as Max continued shove mouthful after mouthful of food into his mouth all the wile continuing to chant his last sentence.

Robin looked to his girlfriend and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. Walking out together, Starfire and Robin left Max alone and encountered the shocked and confused faces of their friend that matched their own oh so well. "Well, at least we got something," Robin offered.

"Yea if by something you mean crazy gibberish," Beast Boy returned.

"Terra looks like she understood," Raven announced gathering everyone's attention.

Stepping forward, Robin regarded Terra with a curious eye. "Terra? Did you understand what his words meant?" he asked grasping for hope.

After shooting a glare in Raven's direction that swore revenge, Terra looked back Robin feeling more nervous than she could ever remember. "I- ah I think I might know what he was talking about, but I'm not sure," she conceded.

"Anything you can tell us is a giant help Terra. Don't be afraid to speak up if you think you have an idea," Robin reassured.

Chewing her bottom lip, Terra surveyed the hopeful faces of her friends and knew they were counting on her. "Ok, ok I just… I need to talk to him, to see if I'm right." As Terra walked toward the door, she could feel the dark fist of fear grip her intestines._And I hope to god I'm not._

Stepping into the interrogation room, Terra shivered as she came upon Max rocking back and forth in his chair, as much as his bindings would allow, and still muttering that sentence. 'First there was no food, then there was nothing.'

Sighing loudly she must have startled Max as he stopped mid-rant to look up at her with frightened eyes. Cautious, Terra watched as his frightened eyes burned into hers, changing from scared to a strange squint as if he had trouble seeing her. "Hi," she shyly offered.

As Max continued to squint at her, Terra carefully shuffled into the room unsure what to say. "You… who are you," he asked making Terra jump at the sudden break in the silence.

Terra coughed into her hand to hide her embarrassment from her action. Sitting down across from Max, she began to feel unnerved by the intense way he was squinting at her, like he was peering into the very core of her being. "I'm Terra," she admitted hoping that would stop his gaze. It did not. "I was wondering if you coul-," she started only to be cut off half way through.

"You're from the white place too," he spoke staring at her with wide eyes.

Glancing back at the camera behind her that all her friends could see and hear her, Terra's heart began to pound in her chest at the meaning in his words. _How could he know that?_"That's what I wanted to ask you. What is the white room?" she asked, terrified of his answer.

Looking at her with haunted eyes, Terra knew all her fears had been right. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing," he answered.

Reeling back, Terra didn't know what to think. _It's true. I was right! He came from there too. He escaped just like me. But how, how was it possible?_"Why do you think I'm from that place too? H-how would you know," she asked shaking.

"Your face," he spoke with ah. Reaching across the table, Max reached out with his hand as if to touch it. "I can see your face… behind your face," he continued still trying to touch it. "Can you see my face behind my face?" he asked still mesmerized by her mere presence.

Shaking her head, Terra tried to do what he said but couldn't. All she saw was the same giant fatty face that every one else saw. Squinting her eyes like she'd seen him do for her, Terra took a quick intake of breath as she started to see a bright light shimmering just underneath the surface of his face. Bringing her face closer to his she tried and tried to go deeper and pear past his face and see the one he was talking about. Breathing in shuddering gasps, Terra shuddered when she finally was able to see what he had been talking about. His face beneath his face.

Terra sat in ah as she looked at the man, no… _boy_ in front of her. As she had learned to look past Max's face, it had become transparent almost glass like revealing the face of a boy who couldn't be older that five. Than by itself should have been enough to frighten Terra, but what truly froze her heart was the boy's condition. His skin was so sunken in that she could see every facet of the boy's facial skeleton. 'First there was no food, then there was nothing.' _He starved to death, _she realized with a shutter. Who knows the circumstances but this little boy had dead from having nothing to eat and he was sent into that place. The white place.

Pulling back just before the tips of his fingers had the chance make contact with her face, Terra backed away with tears streaming down her face, unable to turn away from the pale, emaciated face haunting her every thought.

Bursting back into the observation room, Terra watched until the last second as the door creaked closed, blocking her sight and finally allowing her to break free. Gasping for breath that seemed to refuse to come, Terra became away as she felt herself become enveloped in a pair of arms. Terra looked up at the owner of those arms with her tear plagued eyes and felt her tears double as she recognized Beast boy. Absorbing the warmth and strength from his thin but muscular arms, Terra did the one thing she didn't think she would ever do, she shoved him away.

Picking herself up, she stared into the eyes of all her friends' worried faces and threw herself past them escaping through the exit. Running, she couldn't help but laugh how similar this situation was. Except before she was running to find Beast Boy, and now… she was running from him. But how could she face them, any of them now that she knew the truth. That she was exactly the same as _them_.

Both Lilly and Max were from 'the white place' just like her. They both died but came back, just like her. It couldn't be a coincidence; the timing was just too weird, too perfect. If the team knew of the connection between her and them, they would never believe that she wasn't apart of it. Wasn't one of them.

Gasping for breath, Terra jumped as Robin emerged from behind her locking her wrist in an iron grip. "Terra! What's going on?" he demanded with worry sprawled across his features.

"Nothing," Terra demanded struggling with all her might to escape.

"Did you learn something," he asked, confused.

She couldn't tell him not now, not when everything was going so perfectly with her and Beast Boy. "No. I thought I knew what he was talking about but I was wrong. He's just a bumbling idiot," she answered picturing the starving boy again and again in her mind.

"Then why are you freaking out like this?" he asked, unconvinced.

"I- I'm not sure. I just need to get out of that room," she lied horribly.

Not believing her for a second, Robin didn't loosen his grip for a second. "Tell me the truth, Terra. Let me help," he pleaded.

Swallowing back another sob, Terra fell to her knees, searching for any kind of lie that could placate his mind. Unfortunately she found none.

Kneeling down next to Terra, Robin placed a comforting hand on Terra's shoulder, begging for answers. "If you learned something that could be of any help, anything at all please tell me. I won't ask any questions. And I won't judge you if that's what you're afraid of, but I need you to trust me. Please." He asked once more.

"You were counting on me," she spoke.

"What," Robin asked unsure what she meant.

"You were counting on me to get answers but I failed. He's nothing but a bumbling idiot that has no idea how he got into that body," she lied picturing that sullen emaciated face in her mind. "I'm sorry."

Whipping a hand through his hair, Robin looked down at his blond friend with pity. "Terra, it's ok."

Feeling him put a comforting hand on her shoulder, Terra felt a level of shame she hadn't experience in a very long time. She was lying again; she was lying to her friends _again_. It might not hurt as bad if she wasn't so damn good at it. But they couldn't know. Not ever. Picking herself up, Terra set out to sulk in her room but was halted by the sound of Raven's frantic calling from down the hall.

"Robin, you have to get back to Max, now," Raven demanded, sweating from the exertion she expressed dashing all the way over here.

Looking at her alarmed face, Robin knew that it was serious. "Has he escaped," he questioned ready to charge into battle.

Shaking her head, Raven looked at him with concern. "He's having a heart attack," she sadly whispered.

No sooner had she finished her sentence had, Robin dashed off in the direction of the interrogation room, leaving Raven and Terra to stare after his retreating form in amazement. Terra had little interest in the news of her new acquaintances condition and once again began to walk calmly in the direction of her room only to feel a maniacal like pair of hands lock around her wrist. "What?" she demanded glaring at her captor.

Glaring right back at Terra, Raven was not intimidated. "Tell me what you learned," she ordered tightening her grip.

Wincing slightly at the pressure, Terra felt her temper rise above all else. "I just told Robin that I didn't learn anything!"

Narrowing her eyes, Raven called her bluff. "Bull shit."

Socked at Raven's use of vulgarity, Terra felt her mask of sorrow slip. "Excuse me," she asked daring Raven to repeat her words.

"I am so sick and tired of your lies," Raven hissed out. "Innocent people are dying right inside of our home and your only concern is still what people think of you," she called fearlessly. "So I'm telling you to tell me what's making you so scared."

Forgetting Raven's empathic power, Terra muttered a quick curse under her breath. "Remember if you don't keep your mouth shut you can count on everyone knowing your little secret witch," Terra threatened with a sneer.

Raven crossed her arms and stared boldly into Terra's panicking eyes. "Try me."

Seeing no way out, Terra's form slumped in defeat. "When… when I said that I didn't remember anything when I was dead… that was lie," she finally conceded. "After stopping the volcano… I remember waking up in this empty barren space that was… nothing but white everywhere I looked. That's what he was talking about when he said 'white place' Raven. I could see him"

Thinking about her words, Raven face transformed into one of realization. "Yo- you mean…" she trailed off, afraid to answer.

Looking into her hated rival's eyes, Terra's face showed nothing but dread. "It's the dead. Their the ones who are stealing people's bodies

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed my long chapter. I hope this makes up for my slow updates. I really am appreciative of those who have stuck by me this far. Anyhow please review if you enjoyed the chapter and especially if you want more chapters like this but I don't know, maybe you like my short chapters more? Let me know. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone, here is the next chapter. And just because I love you guys so much I decided to make this one my longest yet! A little warning right here, there is a little limey scene between Terra and Beast Boy. But… to make up for it I left you guys a little present that all you BBRae fans are sure to love. Enjoy the chapter! **

**As always, this chapter was beated by Necronom Hesberec Mortix.**

* * *

Terra gave a sigh of exhaustion as she gazed at her reflection in her hand-held mirror. As she examined every possible inch of her face, Terra's eyes searched to the point of obsession, scrutinizing every pore. Terra had been doing this without rest ever since she had been able to shake away that insufferable witch Raven. "Why can't I see it?" she whispered in frustration. The image of that boy's skeletal face that she'd encountered the other day had continued to haunt her every thought, but not nearly as much as his words. 'The face behind her face.'

When she had looked past the blubbery food smeared face of the body Max had taken control of, she had been shocked when she saw Max's real hollow and shrunken in face as clearly as one would look through a window. She had seen his face behind his face, just as he had said that he had seen hers. But no matter how much she stared into her face, she could not find what he had been talking about.

Was he lying when he'd said it? No, his expression had been far too real for Terra to believe that. But why couldn't she see her own? If what Max had said were true, then that would mean that she had…possessed her own body. Was that even possible? Did that mean she could possess others too? It was all so confusing and terrifying. She had so many questions to ask him, so many fears… but it's too late now… because he's dead.

Shattering her mirror across the room, Terra cursed as the one person to whom she could ask her questions to had slipped through her fingers in a matter of minutes. It hadn't been a pretty sight. Raven had practically dragged her back to the interrogation room by her hair, and forced her to stand and watch regardless if she was of no help at all. You'd think that after everything that had happened the other day her mind would have been too stressed to properly record yet another traumatic event, but no, it was still as fresh and clear as if it happened seconds ago.

As Raven dragged Terra back into the room, the first thing to catch her attention was the noise. So much noise! Apparently someone must have released Max from his restrains as his massive frame laid flat on the floor convulsing every few seconds as his life slowly drained from his body. Cyborg and Robin were kneeling on each side of Max's body as Robin continued to yell at Cyborg to revive him, and Cyborg screaming back that he was trying. Any periods of silence the two seemed to forget to fill was immediately replaced by the noise of a defibrillators repeated use. It was enough to make Terra want to plug her ears, but one sound in particular stopped her as it caught her attention. Looking up, Terra spotted Starfire kneeling with Max's head in her lap singing, what sounded to Terra, like a Tamaranean lullaby. She continued to sing softly through the noise; never breaking eye contact with Max as he slipped further and further away. Shaking her head, Terra marveled at just how motherly the sight seemed. Losing focus, Terra tried to step back as all the noise around her began to blend together assaulting her mind with, what could only be described as, an orchestra of chaos.

At Terra struggled to block out the insufferable noises around her, it was only then she became aware of the revolting stench wafting around the room. Plugging her nose, Terra examined the scene closer to see puddles of vomit permeating the area. Feeling her own stomach churn at the sight, Terra decided ignoring it would be wise, less her own breakfast join Max's on the floor.

Terra once again turned to Max's body, and gazed upon him with apathy. While feeling a small twinge of sorrow for the innocent man whose body this used to be, she found herself surprised at how little she felt for Max and his fate. More so, Terra found herself wondering if Max was happy to die this way. To die because you've stuffed your body with so much food, that just quits. Surely for someone who originally died from starvation it must be better…or perhaps, death is just death. Maybe it just sucks either way.

Terra shook those thoughts away, and idly wondered when her thoughts had become so consumed by death. _Dying probably contributed a bit. _Shifting her weight, Terra allowed her body to become unbalanced and lazily fell into her bed giving a long sigh of exhaustion. Feeling the corner of her mouth twitch upward in humor, Terra silently mused how tiring staring into a mirror all night could be.

Dragging her body over to her pillow, Terra buried her face into it; wishing she had her boyfriend's green shoulder instead. Terra wanted to see Beast Boy. She wanted him to hold her, and pet her hair, and tell her everything was going to be ok. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. But she couldn't. How could she face him after she had pushed him away like that?

Allowing a single tear to escape into her pillow, Terra struggled to keep herself from having a complete melt down. But it was hard… she was tired, and scared, and frustrated, and _pissed_, and… and…

As a few more tears escaped her eyes, Terra curled herself under her bed's comforter and drifted away to sleep. Unbeknownst to her the second she fell to unconsciousness a small invisible hand could be felt brushing comfortingly against her cheek. "Sleep well little pebble," a ghostly whisper drifted through the air.

xXx

Digging her delicate but iron strong fingers into her boyfriend's neck, Starfire stood above Robin's slouched form doing her best to relive him his pent up tension. "Would you like me to fetch you something?" she offered, hoping to be of more help.

Pulling his haggard face from his hands, Robin exhaled loudly before slowly shaking his head and replacing his head back into his out stretched hands. "Not unless it's a time machine," he muttered solemnly. Sitting up from his hunched over position, Robin rested his back against the back of his chair and craned his neck to give him an upside down view of Starfire's worried face.

"Do not worry Robin, things will be well again soon," Starfire promised as she gazed into Robin's masked eyes.

Feeling Starfire lightly press her lips against his, Robin closed his eyes praying that she was right. After Max had had his episode resulting in his death, Robin had been forced to report the situation to the appropriate authorities.

Recent events had begun to force the Teen Titans in a less than savory light in the citizen's eyes. They had been quite upset with the Titans when they had heard of Terra's return, and seemed to be more than ready to forget all the good the Titans had done for them. Then, of course, upon seeing the Titans get utterly beaten to a pulp, and all at the cost of a child life; the city had been more than ready to express their displeasure with the Titans 'deplorable' performance. But now that a criminal's dead body had been extracted from the home of the Teen Titans… they were in trouble.

"Star, there's a good chance we might not be welcome in the city anymore," he reviled for the first time. "We... might have to leave Jump City." Seeing the look of pain flash across her face, Robin knew completely what was happening in her mind; fears, so many fears. Where would they go? What would happen to their makeshift little family? What would happen to the city? Would they still be able to stay heroes? Everything that had gone through his mind when he first heard of the warning, he could see clearly written on her face. Pulling his frightened girlfriend into his lap, Robin took her hand in his hoping that it was of some comfort.

"This is our home," Starfire spoke sorrowfully grateful for Robin's support. "I will not allow them to force us from our home," she warned, gripping Robin's hand.

Seeing tears threaten to appear in his girlfriend's eyes, Robin threw his arms around her pulling her face into the crook of her neck. Robin grimaced as he could feel her sobs reverberate into his collarbone. He hated this. He hated hurting her. But most of all he hated that he still hadn't told her the worst news. He might be going to jail.

The Teen Titans had been responsible for Max and his well being for as long as he was in their care. But it Robin who was responsible as their leader. It was him who talked the official into allowing Max into their holding, and it had been him who signed all the proper documentation. As far as the U.S. government was concerned; Robin was the Teen Titans. And as such if the investigators of Jump City find reason to believe that the death of Lenny (Max) Michaels was in fact not accidental… he would be the one found guilty of murder.

Looking over to Starfire, Robin knew that now was not the time to tell her of this. The news that she might be losing her home was enough of a burden. It was the only home she has ever had on earth, and Robin knew how much it meant to her. Starfire shouldn't have to worry about losing her boyfriend too.

"It'll be ok, Star," he promised as he held her close. Robin had hopes that all his worries were for nothing. He knew the only thing those doctors and investigators would find examining the body was cardiac arrest; plain and simple. But still… the possibility of dirty politics was always over head. Robin doubted that the people of Jump City would actually go so far as to frame him, no matter how upset they were. But in the event that things did indeed head in that direction, Robin always had a back up. As much it would kill Robin to do it, he knew that if he was forced to, he could turn to _him _for help. He'd sworn to himself all those years ago, when he'd first set out to make his own name, that he would never, under any circumstances return to him for any reason.

But things have changed so much since that angry resentful boy had run off on his own. He had responsibilities now. He understood the pressures and the unbearable weight that came with being the leader. And he needed help. He needed advice, and he knew the only person that could give it was just a phone call away.

Allowing himself to finally acknowledge what he'd known all along, Robin could feel the weight lessen ever so slightly. "I promise Starfire, everything will work out in the end."

xXx

Dreary minded, Terra groaned as a loud banging on her door interrupted her semi-peaceful sleep. Lifting her covers just enough to peek at her digital clock, Terra let out another louder groan. _At least I got a good three hours. _Terra replaced the covers back over her head praying to be left alone. As a new wave of banging crashed through her door, Terra's temper reached its limit.

Throwing her blankets away from her body, Terra abandoned the warmth of her bed and stomped over to her door. "_What?!_" she exclaimed furious.

Visibly shrinking under his girlfriend's glare, Beast Boy coward away as he met Terra's glower. "Ah… if this is a bad time…," Beast Boy chickened out.

As Terra realized who it was that was at her door, she gasped in shock. "No, no! It's, come on in," Terra hurriedly ushered him in. Beast Boy slowly entered the room offering Terra a small, slightly cautious smile. Terra could only grimace in response she continued to berate herself for her outburst. "I didn't think you would want to talk to me," she nervously admitted. Carefully stepping closer to him, Terra wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm glad." Being back in Beast Boy's arms made a warmth bloom in her chest. It was just as she had expected. When she was with Beast Boy all her problems seemed to just drift away.

"Why wouldn't I?" Beast Boy asked genuinely confused. "You seemed really upset yesterday, I wanted to see if you were alright." And he really did want too. As upset as Beast Boy had been with her the past few days, it doesn't mean he wants to see her distressed, and definitely not to the degree he had seen her the other night.

Seeing the concern in his eyes, the warmth in her chest expanded to very tips of her fingers and toes. "I was afraid you were mad at me for pushing you away like that last night," Terra admitted tightening her grip on his shirt for comfort. Terra sighed happily as she felt Beast Boy's hand stroke through her hair alleviating any and all that was left of her nerves.

"More worried than upset," Beast Boy clarified. "I've never seen you act that way before. What happened?"

Pulling her face away to look at him, Terra shook her head before pressing back into his chest full force. "I… I don't want to talk about that right now," she mumbled sadly. And she really didn't. Terra could have easily given Beast Boy the same excuse she had given Robin, but she couldn't handle lying to him again. Not now. Instead, Terra had a better idea how they could spend their time, and hopefully lighten the mood a bit in the process.

Giving a furtive smile hidden beneath Beast Boy's chest, Terra began to walk against Beast Boy forcing to walk backwards. Curious, Beast Boy relented and allowed Terra lead him in her little game. Finally after a few seconds of awkwardly shuffling around, Terra found her mark as Beast Boy found himself falling through the air and landing on Terra's soft comfortable bed.

Looking up, Beast Boy's heart began to beat a little faster as caught sight of Terra happily giggling as she smiled jovially at him. It was moments like these that reminded Beast Boy why he had fallen for her in the first place. It reminded him of how Terra used to be. How she was when they had first met. How she was before Slade had gotten her and screwed with her brain. When Terra had just been _Terra,_ and her blue eyes sparkled with freedom and happiness.

Having gotten her boyfriend right where she wanted, Terra couldn't help the large smile that had grown on her face. Pushing off his chest, Terra's happy smile turned naughty as she drew her legs under her, straddling her boyfriend's waist. "Comfy?" she asked feigning innocence. Beast Boy blushed under her attention only able to force a tight jerking nod. This brought on another bubbly giggle to escape out her throat. _He's so cute._

Torturously slow, Terra trailed her fingers up Beast Boy's chest, and over his face; finally resting them tangled in his green spiky hair. Using her positional advantage, Terra lowered her face to Beast Boy's moaning as her lips met with the soft warmth of his. This is what she needed. Forget everything else. Max, faces, ghosts, possessions, one by one all of her past worries all her reservations or fears, all of it faded away into nothing. He was her medicine, the only thing that freed her, that allowed her mind to just go blank. It was wonderful.

Terra smiled into her boyfriend's lips as he started to warm up. Wiggling her hips happily, Terra encouraged Beast Boy as he moved his hands to her waist. She loved his touch. Wanting more of it, Terra began to push her tongue into the kiss earning an appreciative groan from her partner beneath her. Bringing a hand down from Beast Boy's head; Terra began to trail her hand down to admire his slim but muscular form. He was wonderful. His taste, his smell, his everything.

Breaking away from his lips, Terra rested her head in the crook of his neck panting for air as she enjoyed the adrenalin running through her veins. The satisfied haze surrounding her mind led her to one outcome. To compare him to medicine had been completely inaccurate. If anything, Beast Boy was her drug plain and simple, and she was addicted. "We don't do that enough," she laughed breathlessly.

Once again, Beast Boy helpless to do anything other than nod his head. Putting an arm around his girlfriend, he briefly attempted to shake his own dazed mind clear swearing that for a few brief seconds he'd actually felt her tongue on his brain. Chuckling at his own thoughts, Beast Boy turned to look at Terra only to find her already staring at him with eyes full of love.

Unable to turn away without suspicion, Beast Boy held Terra's gaze trying to match her intensity, but knew his was weak in comparison. Try as he might, Beast Boy repeatedly failed to detect any emotion connected to Terra that he could call love. And it confused the hell out of him. Beast Boy cared for Terra, of that he was sure. And if the tightness in his pants was any indication he definitely found her attractive…but that was it. _Maybe I'm trying too hard._

"What's the matter?" Terra asked, sensing his distress. Terra looked upon her boyfriend in confusion.

Shifting his eyes in a nervous manor, Beast Boy panicked as his anxiety had been brought out into the open. "I… ah, I'm just still thinking about why you were so upset the other night," he spoke off the top of his head. Beast Boy winced at how easily it had become to lie to Terra. Nervously, he watched as Terra's concern turned to a scowl. _Better than what would happen if she really knew what I was thinking._

"Oh," Terra mumbled, her good mood suddenly soured. Rolling her face back into Beast Boy's shoulder, Terra sighed, sad about the loss of her happy moment. Should she tell him what really happened? How would he react? Would he believe that she wasn't affiliated with these new dangerous villains? _No, I- it's just too risky. Once I find out what's really happening and I know more about what's going on with me, then I can tell him. Besides, it's not like I'm… really lying to him, right?_

Letting out another sigh, Terra rose to meet her boyfriend's eyes. "I messed up last night. I thought I knew something that I thought could be helpful, but it turned out to be nothing and you guys were counting on me. I feel like all I ever do is mess things up," Terra admitted hiding behind her half-truth.

Beast Boy looked at his girlfriend astounded. "That's not true!" he exclaimed sounding as hurt as if he had been the one insulted.

Terra couldn't help but smile a bit at how vehemently he had denied her own snubbing. "Well, kinda," she pressed on. "I mean I've never really done anything exceptionally noteworthy. And now, thanks to me, the whole city is against you guys. Not to mention getting almost killed in my first mission back with you guys," Terra explained herself. "Sometimes it feels like getting rid of Slade was the only helpful thing I've ever done for you guys," Terra sadly spoke now revealing her true feelings.

Sitting up, Beast boy kept a firm hold on Terra making sure she didn't slip from his side. "That's not true, Terra. Everyone on the team is happy to that you're here, especially me," he promised bringing a happy blush to appear on Terra's cheeks. "And the city will calm down eventually. You just need to keep up a good image for a little bit. It's like Robin says, 'being a hero is twenty five percent bravery, seventy five percent politics.'" Seeing Terra giggle at his joke egged Beast Boy onto continue. "And the thing about Slade; don't even worry about it. I mean it's not like he's ev-," Beast Boy stopped abruptly as he realized what he was about to reveal. This drew Terra's attention.

"Slade wasn't even, what," Terra inquired curious as to what Beast Boy could be hiding. Terra watched with growing suspicion as Beast Boy refused to meet her eyes. Now she was _really_ interested. "Come on," she demanded giving his chest a good slap. Still Beast Boy continued to remain silent. "If you don't tell me I'll just keep bugging you," she spoke in a singsong voice, completely unaware of what she was asking to be revealed. Seeing him bow his head in defeat, Terra did a mental cheer.

Taking a cautious peek at his girlfriend, Beast Boy knew there was no escape. "You're not gonna be happy," Beast Boy warned. Terra raised an eyebrow expectantly in response. "…Slade's still alive," he whispered.

As the seconds ticked by, Beast Boy began to feel strangled by the silence that had descended upon the room. Risking another glance at Terra, Beast Boy winced in surprise. At the news Terra's face had completely drained of blood leaving her to look pale and sickly, exaggerated by her eyes that shone wide with confusion.

"What," she whispered almost not believing her ears. Her words were now spoken with a shaky edge that largely contrasted the teasing humor she had so carelessly used to evoke this dreaded information. "B-but I killed him," she spoke slightly louder. "I hit him into a patch of _lava_!"

Seeing his girlfriend about to lose control, Beast Boy rushed to explain. "You did, you did! He definitely died in lava. There's no doubt about that. It's just that he kinda… came back," he clarified.

"Came back," Terra repeated incredulously giving him a look that clearly showed what she thought of his sanity.

Beast Boy fidgeted under her stare unsure if he should voice his next sentence. "We- well, it's not impossible. I mean… you did," he mumbled the last part out. "That's not to say I think you're anything like Slade thought," he quickly reassured unaware that Terra's mind had drifted far, far away.

Terra stared at her boyfriend unsure whether she should laugh or cry. Slade, the man who ruined her life, the man who was responsible for her death, was alive. He was just running around spreading pain and misery to anyone and everyone he sent his maniacal, insane sights on. It was enough to make Terra's blood come to a boil. It was enough to make Terra want to run outside that very second and kill him all over again. It was enough to…

_Wait, he came back… just like Max. That could mean… that could mean he might be able to answer my questions! He might be the only person that can answer my questions..._Terra chewed her bottom lip anxiously at the direction of her thoughts. Was she really thinking of doing this, of actually going to him in search of help? _It might be my only chance. _Terra realized with a pit of disgust forming in her belly.

"Are you ok?" Beast Boy asked concerned over her long stretch of silence.

At the sound of Beast Boy's voice, Terra's eyes snapped back into focus. She stared at him in confusion, and then in shock. She had actually forgotten he was even in the room. "Yea I um, I'm fine," she answered unable to meet his eyes out of shame. Not only had she had she been thinking about seeking out her former evil master, but she had done so, so engrossed that she had forgotten her one reason for living was even in the same room. To think Slade still had that level of influence on her was… frightening. If she was going to do this, Beast Boy could never find out. If she was even considering this, Beast Boy could _never _find out.

"Beast Boy, I need to be alone right now," Terra whispered shocked that she had even been able to force the sentence past her lips. She didn't want to do this, she hated doing this. She was pushing him away again, and just after he had told her that he'd forgiven her for it the first time. But she needed to really consider if she was going to look for Slade in a calm, impartial, and unbiased way, and she couldn't do that with Beast Boy sitting next to her. It hurt too much.

"Terra?" Beast Boy asked slightly worried.

Placing her hand on Beast Boy's, Terra gave a comforting squeeze. "I just need a little time to get my thoughts together," Taking a deep lungful of air, Terra forced her eyes to remain on Beast Boy's. "I promise."

Beast Boy knew that he'd just dumped a huge load of emotional chaos onto his girlfriend's lap; he could see the turmoil swirling in her eyes. Releasing Terra from his grip, Beast Boy slipped away from her bed and headed for the door. Terra quickly following him trying to think of any words that could make this less weird, but only managed to quietly shuffle across the room behind him. Crossing the threshold, Beast Boy awkwardly turned to face Terra and did his best to give a comforting smile. "I'm ah, here if you need me," he offered, not completely sure that he should leave his girlfriend in such an emotional state.

"Thank you," Terra honestly replied before abruptly sliding the door closed right in his face.

Beast Boy stood silently in front of Terra's door both dejected and slightly guilty. It kinda hurt to be thrown out like that, but he should have known better than to tell her about Slade. "What was I thinking…" he silently admonished. Taking one last look at Terra's door, Beast Boy hung his head low as he wandered away, directionless.

xXx

"Raven," Starfire spoke surprised. "What are you doing? The purple haired witch actually jumped in surprise at the sound of her friend's voice. Looking to her side, Raven blushed at being caught.

After yesterday's uncomfortable misunderstanding about Beast Boy and Terra's relationship, Raven concluded if she wanted take Beast Boy away from Terra, she was going to have to fight for him. Unfortunately, at the same time, she had also learned she had absolutely no idea how she was going to do that. So in absence of any other options, Raven found she had only one possible hope of finding help, Starfire.

Upon reaching her ever-bubbly friends room, Raven had found herself trapped by yet another seemingly impossible obstacle. She was too nervous to knock on the goddamn door. Raven had never been one who was especially apt at dealing with embarrassment, or any emotion for that matter, but then as she stood in front of her friends door, Raven could not force her hand to announce her presence.

It was ridiculous! She, Raven, daughter of Trigon and master of all things magical was cowering like an ant because she was faced of asking someone for advice on how to flirt with a boy. …But regardless Raven still found herself hanging her head in defeat as she shamefully gave up and turned to escape with her metaphorical tail between her legs. That is, until Starfire herself turned the corner, catching Raven in the act of glaring at her bedroom door as if it had murdered her family.

"I ah, nothing Starfire I was just leaving," Raven stammered out, blushing like a fire engine.

"Are you in need of me," Starfire inquired, curious.

Raven sighed as the feeling to escape grew with every passing second. "I was actually um, looking for a little advice… ah you know girl to girl," Raven spoke cringing in embarrassment. Starfire on the other hand brightened happily at her friend's words.

"You wish to have the girl talk," Starfire asked ecstatic. "Wonderful! I would be most happy to help you with what ever you are in need of."

Her blush cooling to soft pink just resting beneath her cheeks, Raven smiled grateful. "Thanks, Starfire." Being able to get a good look at her friend for the first time, Raven's eyes widened as she saw the state Starfire was in. "Are you ok?" she spoke concerned. The area around her eyes appeared puffy and slightly red, a clear sign she had been crying.

Starfire smiled sadly. "Yes, friend Raven, all is well. This day has just been very tiring."

Raven nodded her head in understanding. These days everything seemed to go wrong, especially yesterday. Raven shivered as she remembered Terra's shocking revelation. She had spent a good part of the night reflecting on what she heard. It was horrible, frightening news, and if Terra was right, it spelled a mountain of trouble for the Teen Titans. And that was just one of the horrible things that happened recently. So much seems to be going wrong lately it' was almost kind of hard to remember before their lives went to hell. And now looking at Starfire… maybe… "Maybe now isn't the best time actually," Raven offered feeling that asking for boy advice might be a tad inappropriate.

Starfire's eyes shone with disappointment. "No, no! It is when we are most sad that we should speak of happy things," Starfire insisted. "Please, let us enter my room and we will engage in the girl talk." Raven could see the excitement in her eyes and couldn't help but give in. Giving a tired sigh, Raven nodded her head, returning her friends smile.

Walking into Starfire's room, Raven had to stop herself from visibly cringing. Pink, yellow, vibrant green, all these colors and more screamed at her with their bright happy tones from every inch of the room.

Starfire gently floated onto her bed and motioned for Raven to join her. "So, tell me what it is that you wish me to advise you in," Starfire asked, smiling happily.

Settling down on the bright pink bed, Raven squirmed in anxiety. "I need advice…" Raven started out with a blush. Starfire nodded her head waiting for her to continue. "On… on how to get someone's attention," Raven finished gawkily.

Starfire looked at her in confusion. "I do not understand." Her usually stoic friend was acting so strange. It was worrying.

Raven grimaced at her poor wording. She hated how terribly awkward she was appearing, but she couldn't believe how uncomfortable it was to reveal she actually had a crush. "A boy, I- I need advice on how I can get a boy's attention," Raven elaborated doing her best to push aside her embarrassment. This time Raven did cringe as Starfire's gasp was quickly followed by a giggling squeal that pierced her ears like a stake

"You have found a person for whom you have affection?" Starfire asked literally bouncing with joy.

Raven was already regretting her decision to turn to Starfire as she waited for the green-eyed alien to calm herself. "Yes…b-" her sentence was cut off as Starfire's body came crashing into hers in a bone-crushing hug.

"You must tell me who!" Starfire demanded, pushing her friend to arm's length. Raven could see her alien mind racing with people she though Raven could be interested in. "Do I know him?" Starfire asked, not even giving her time to answer. "Is he nice? Will you introduce us? Does he too save people? Where did you meet him? Does he share your enjoyment of the dark things? Have yo-."

"_Starfire,_" Raven exclaimed in aggravation. Raven saw her friend flinch back hurt, and regretted her outburst immediately. She hadn't meant to be so short with her, but the never-ending onslaught of questions was beginning to give her a headache. "Sorry," she apologized. "Things are just kind of complicated right now, so I can't really tell you much."

Starfire forgave her friend without delay, adopting a look of concern on her face. "What is troubling you? Does this boy not share your affection?" she asked, sympathetic for her friend.

Raven grimaced as she thought about whether she should tell Starfire that she was after a boy that already had a girlfriend. Would Starfire think she was a bad person? Was she a bad person? Regardless, Raven decided, she needed help, and for Starfire to do that she'll need all the facts… or most of them. "He's already seeing someone else," Raven revealed. She watched nervously as Starfire processed her words. Expecting Starfire to show nothing but distain at her actions, Raven was genuinely surprised when she saw a small sneaky smirk appear on her friend's face instead.

"I see," Starfire replied in a strange voice that Raven had sworn she'd heard somewhere before.

"You're not… upset?" Raven asked confused.

Seeing the confused expression on her friends face, Starfire explained herself. "On Tamaran, it is not uncommon for two females to compete for the affections of their love."

Understanding dawned upon Raven as she heard this news. Raven felt a small smile creep to her cheeks as she finally remembered where she heard Starfire use that tone; it was the tone she used when planning to take down an enemy. "You'll help me beat this other girl then," Raven spoke more than asked.

Starfire smiled cockily as she raised her arm in boast. "She will grovel at your feet for mercy," she spoke dripping with confidence.

Raven's eyes sparkled with amusement as she regarded her friend's attitude. It was times like these that reminded her just how scary Starfire could really be under her giant heart. And it was also times like these that Raven sighed in relief that Starfire was on their side. "So what should I do?"

Starfire adopted a thinking position cocking her head to the side cutely. "On my planet, if I were to face such a situation, I would simply destroy this other girl and prove myself as the superior female."

Raven had to let a snort of amusement out hearing that. Thinking about it, Raven had to admit that she would enjoy the chance to smack Terra around… but she doubted that would make Beast Boy like her any more. "I think it would be best to focus on the guy," Raven offered. _But that doesn't mean we can't keep that plan as back up._" Can you give me any tips on… flirting…?" Raven sighed as she spoke her last word. _The things I do for him…_

Starfire once again focused intently thinking up any tips that could help her friend. As Raven watched her friend search for her answer, she couldn't help but smile at how seriously Starfire was really taking this. "Earthling courtship rituals are still very confusing to me. I am grateful I was able to acquire Robin's affections in spite of this fact, but I think I may be able to still help you." Raven perked ready to learn. "How do your physical attributes fair against you rival's?" Starfire asked bluntly.

Raven visibly deflated at this question. This was a very sore subject for Raven to think about. Terra was stick thin, had bright blue eyes, and long cascading blond hair that she'd seen Beast Boy compliment on more than one occasion. While she on the other hand had grey skin, unnatural purple hair and equally unnatural creepy amethyst eyes. All of which screamed to the world of her half demon heritage. "…could be better," Raven grumbled out.

Starfire looked upon her friend with sadness. She knew Raven had difficulty seeing the beauty everyone around her saw. Her new choices in clothing had helped her slightly but Starfire could still see the insecurity plaguing her mind. If she was going to help her friend, she was going to need to show her that beauty.

Floating off the bed, Starfire confused Raven as began to dash around her room shuffling about in random dressers and shelves. Finding what she was looking for, Starfire smiled happily before returning to her place on the bed. "I wish you to tell me what you see." Holding up a medium sized hand held mirror, Starfire waited for her reply.

"…my reflection," Raven spoke unsure what point Starfire was trying to make. To Raven, mirrors were tools for meditation. They were used to center yourself through self-exploration and to inspect the very fascist of your being. She rarely used one to simply look at her own reflection.

Starfire handed the mirror to her friend and motioned for her to continue staring into it. "But what do you see in your reflection?"

Raven stared into her reflection highly uncomfortable with whatever Starfire was trying to do. In all honestly, Raven didn't hate the face in mirror staring back at her. It reminded her of her mother's. Raven had always thought of her mother as a beautiful woman. When she'd heard a monk comment that she looked like her, she remembered beaming with so much happiness she'd destroyed a meditation fountain. But now, actually looking at her own face like she was, she could see what the monk had been saying.

She had gotten many features from her mother. Her lips, her eyebrows, her hair, and even her nose. She had been unfortunate enough as to acquire her eyes from her father, but even they didn't subtract from the beauty her mother had gifted her. All in all… it wasn't that bad.

"You are beautiful," Starfire spoke seeing the understanding in her friend's eyes. "It is only you who seems unable to notice it. If you are too be successful in stealing the affections of the one you care for you must be bold and decisive. If you continue to doubt yourself you will stand no chance of winning."

Raven smiled Grateful and nodded her head in confirmation. "You're right Starfire… thanks."

Starfire merely smiled in return. "Come, let us continue our discussion."

Raven nodded her head with determination. With Starfire's help, she might actually stand a chance. And now that Raven understood just how scared Terra was of her. It was a new game all together.

xXx

"Game over," the video game mocked as a digital warrior was shown falling down onto a pit of spikes. Beast Boy watched his character's death with apathy as his caring for his rapidly dwindling lives secede hours ago.

Ever since Terra had thrown him out of her room, he'd been unable to focus on a thing. He'd thought about going back to check on her, but the memory of her insistent demand he leave kept him away. And so here he sat like a potato playing video game after video game, too distracted to even enjoy it. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Beast Boy threw his gaming controller to the cushion beside him. _I wonder if it's just too early to go to bed_, he idly wondered as he watched the clock tick by on the wall.

As much as he hated to say it, Beast Boy couldn't help but remember how much easier life was before he had a girlfriend. Everything was just so complicated now! He couldn't even look Raven in the face anymore without the fear of Terra reenacting her little 'I love you' scene. Not to mention the fact the Terra had more drama than a soap opera and as her boyfriend he got the joy of having a front row seat to every second. Heck! Even the missions seem more stressful then they used to be.

Throwing an arm over his eyes, Beast Boy couldn't help but whimper pathetically at how his life had changed. "What's the matter with you?" a sarcastic voice filled his pointed ears. Sitting up in shock, Beast Boy gaped as he found Raven sitting nonchalantly next to him on the couch. It took a few seconds for his brain to catch up with his eyes but eventually Beast Boy caught up. "Raven?"

Looking up from her book, Raven gave him a small smile. "Beast Boy," she acknowledged before she turned back to her book, coyly turning a page. Starfire had loaded her with information on how to tease and toy with a boy. For someone who said she didn't understand earthling courtship, she seemed to really know what she was doing.

Slightly bewildered by his gothic friend's strange behavior, Beast Boy briefly forgot about his past woes. "What's… goin on," he finally replied. Beast Boy nervously shifted his attention back to the TV screen as Raven glanced up at him from her book. Apparently she wasn't the only one acting weird. Picking up his controller, Beast Boy's eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to remember the last time he and Raven had had a chance to just hang out.

But something about this was strange. She was strange. When Raven usually read in the common room, she'd have this aura of annoyance and frustration that he just loved to poke and prod. But he didn't feel it all right now. Peeking over to his side, Beast Boy's eyes widened as he'd caught her staring at him. Beast Boy quickly shifted them back to the TV screen.

"What are you playing?" Raven enquired after realizing she'd been caught. She wasn't sure how well she was following Starfire's instructions but by how flustered Beast Boy seemed to be, Raven was feeling pretty good.

"Hero's quest," Beast Boy answered even more confused. She never had an interest in video game. She said they were stupid and idiotic…_hmmm _"wanna play," he asked with a smirk.

Raven's playful smile froze with his offer. She hated video games and everything about them. The only reason she'd even asked was because Starfire prodded her to ask about his interests. "Sure…"placing her book beside her, Raven gingerly grabbed the controller only to have the video game's character seemed to spontaneously combust in three seconds.

"Wow Rae, you really killed that one," Beast Boy laughed hilariously at his own joke. He got even more amusement from the expression on Raven's face as she dropped the controller back into his lap and shoved her face back into her book. "Ah come on, smile Raven! Don't be like that, I'm having a blast," he joked. "Get it," he asked laughing as he once more causing her to retreat into her book once again. Beast Boy smiled contently as he saw Raven glare at him from behind her book. This was how it should be, how it used to be.

Raven cringed as she heard Beast Boy begin to crack his lame jokes but also sighed in relief as the tense atmosphere lifted if only a little. Raven blushed nervously as considered if she should go through with the next part of her and Starfire's plan, but then remember her friend's instructions. "Bold and decisive," Raven murmured to herself.

After Starfire had forced Raven to acknowledge herself as beautiful, she had continued asking if Raven had any special qualities that she could exploit that the other girl did not. It had been slightly difficult explain Terra to Starfire without letting on that it was actually Terra she was talking about, But Starfire had managed to point out a few things she could exploit for her advantage. One of them she intended to use right now.

Taking a deep breath, Raven, as casually as possible, unzipped the black hoody she had been wearing to reveal a slightly low cut violet top that squeezed her chest snuggly. Raven fought to disperse the blush that spread across her face before Beast Boy could see it. Carefully describing Terra's appearance to Starfire, the green eyed alien had been able to point one flaw out to Raven that she might be able to take advantage of. Simply put, Terra was flatter than an ironing board, a flaw that Raven could easily exploit.

Raven idly felt a small spark of pride in her until now unless assets. They weren't obscenely big but they defiantly had their own weight. _More than enough to blow Terra out of the water_. And, hopefully enough to get Beast Boy's attention. Peeking over at her green skinned crush, Raven felt her heart beat speed up as her newly revealed chest had in fact garnered the attention of said Beast Boy. He wasn't openly gaping, a fact Raven appreciated, but he every few seconds he was definitely stealing a glance. _Or five._

Peeking down at her chest, Raven wanted to make sure the shirt wasn't _too _low cut. It was one thing to give him a peek; she didn't want to give him a whole show. Satisfied that nothing was going to pop out, and that she didn't resemble a prostitute, Raven smiled triumphantly actually wishing Terra was there. Actually… "So where's Terra?" she asked suspicious. It was unlike the girl to not be leached onto Beast Boy's side for more than five minutes.

"Huh," Beast Boy asked in a distracted tone. Never before had he cursed his eyesight like today. Seeing a strange movement out of the corner of his eyes, Beast Boy had merely been peeking to his side when he'd found… those. Apparently the strange movement had been Raven shrugging her jacket off her shoulders because even though Beast Boy fought like his life depended on it he still couldn't help stealing glances every chance he got. It wasn't until he spotted Ravens furtive smile that he caught on to what was really going on. _She's…flirting with me! Man, I don't think I saw 'this' part of her with Malchior, _Beast Boy's mind went blank with astonishment. He knew she liked him but to think she would try something like this is unbelievable. It was getting harder and harder not to tell her that he knew what she was doing. It was killing him, especially this very moment. _Just don't look, focus on the game. Oh crap how long have I been dead? Ok never mind just don't look. Don't look. Don't… lo- you are looking. You're looking and you need to stop. Turn away. Just tu-_

"Beast Boy," Raven repeated for the third time.

"What," he asked innocently breaking free.

"I asked you a question," Raven reminded him smiling quiet evilly.

Beast Boy was now sweating bullets. "Oh ahhhhh, no," he guess praying that it was right answer.

Deciding to see how long she could make him sweat, Raven did her best to look dejected and turned back to her book. _This is way better than just throwing him through a window. _"Oh," she said sadly.

Panicked at her sad tone Beast Boy jumped to correct his mistake. "I mean yes! Like totally. Sure," he said trying to laugh it off.

If Raven had been able to, she would have burst out laughing at his face in that moment. But not wanting him to have an aneurism, she silently relented her teasing. "Ok," she said in a neutral voice.

Once again falling into comfortable silence Beast Boy couldn't help but fall into old habits. "So, whatcha' readin," he questioned actually managing to keep his focus on the game. Beast Boy always loved asking Raven what she was reading. It was so fun to annoy her.

Raven rolled her eyes at his mundane question but remained silent, mostly because she's been having so much fun teasing him she hasn't gotten past the first page. Looking back at her behavior the past half hour, Raven couldn't believe the things she'd done or how much she'd enjoyed them. When she wasn't a nervous wreck flirting with Beast Boy was actually really fun.

Hearing nothing but a heavy sigh, Beast Boy shook his head in amusement. Even if she had decided to tell him what her book was about, he doubted her would have understood it anyways. That's just the kind of books she reads. It was that thought that reminded Beast Boy just how different he and Raven were. There was just too much of a gap. And he wasn't about to pick up a book anytime soon. And he highly doubted she was ever going to pick up another controller.

Being this close to Beast Boy, Raven could literally feel his sudden drop in mood. She wanted to ask him about it but almost afraid of the answer. Deciding that action had to be taken, Raven began to initiate the next part of what Starfire had told her to try, physical contact. She and Beast Boy were already sitting close enough together that she only had to scooch over a tiny bit before she laid her cheek on his shoulder. Ignoring his jump of surprise, Raven simply lifted her book to eye level as if it were the most natural thing in the world._Starfire wanted bold, ill give her bold._

Slightly expecting some sort of reprimand, Raven waited on silent breath until Beast Boy snapped out of his shock and continued to play his game. This allowed Raven to fully enjoy the position she'd worked herself into. Beast Boy's shoulder was warm and felt nice against her cheek. She could feel the rush of air as is slipped in and out of his body. She could feel his muscle beneath his shirt and she was surprised by how much she enjoyed the feel of it.

Growing up in a world of monks, and as a half demon, she never got to enjoy much contact with other people. Even her mother rarely showed affection through physical means. The odd hug on her birthday was usually the best she got, so physical contact of any kind… meant something her. It was special.

Gripping his controller in an iron grip, Beast Boy lost all concentration as he felt his friend's face rest on his shoulder. _Yes, friend. Because that's what we are friends, just friends. _Looking over at his friend, Beast Boy unintentionally got a good whiff of her hair. Closing his eyes, any recollection of what he was going to say went out of his mind as the smell of lavender and incense filled his head. It was a blend unique only to Raven, and the two calming properties combined in Beast Boy, relaxing his every muscle.

As Beast Boy relaxed into the back of the couch, he figured that friends could rest on each other without it meaning anything. Returning to his video game, Beast Boy occasionally shifted his head to his side to get tiny hints of Raven's scent. He hoped Raven hadn't noticed what he was doing. Even to him it was kinda creepy. But he couldn't help it! It felt…good having her there. The way her cheek rested on him warmed his body and the way her breath would wash against his collar sent goose bumps running up and down his body.

_I wish we could get along this good all the time. _Shifting his eyes over the top of Raven's head Beast Boy had a sudden revelation… why couldn't they? He'd been complaining this whole time about how they were too different or how one of them would have to change for the other but look at them now! They've been sitting together for over half an hour and not one trip out the window. Just because they don't do things 'together' doesn't mean they can't do them together. She had her things and he had his. But most importantly, Raven respected that fact. She never expected him to start reading books any more than he expected her to start loving tofu. It didn't matter if they did not enjoy the same things. All that mattered was that they wanted to do those things together. And, that at the end of the day, they could both still sit down and enjoy moments just like this.

_Oh my god… I like Raven. _

Raven was blissfully unaware of Beast Boy's inner turmoil until her comfortable headrest suddenly went ridged. Curious, Raven lifted her head to see what was wrong only to find Beast Boy's emerald shaded eyes mere inches from hers. "Beast Boy," she whispered unsure of what was about to happen. Luckily for her, Beast Boy did.

"I was outside the infirmary…" Beast Boy whispered back, his breath sweeping over Raven's lips. Raven look at his in confusion not understanding. "…when Terra said you liked me," he revealed. Before Raven could fully comprehend what Beast Boy had just told her, her mind came to a screeching halt as she felt his lips press against hers. Too shocked to reciprocate, Raven sat motionless as Beast Boy nervously held the kiss waiting for a response. Finally realizing what was happening, Raven allowed her hand to creep up to cup his cheek before pressing into her first ever kiss.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. Beast Boy's lips felt warm against her own and slightly wet, his hands fixed on her hips held her close to him exactly where she wanted to be. So swept up in the moment, Raven forgot to keep hold of her emotions as the controller Beast Boy had been using exploded in a fit of black magic. Raven jumped at the sound slightly worried Beast Boy would push her away out of fear. Pulling back, Beast Boy shocked Raven as mouth swept up her jaw line up to her ear. "Don't worry," he whispered before pulling her back to meet his eyes. Raven gasped at the sight of them. The once round gentle eyes had narrowed to a near reptilian appearance, every bit beastly. The eyes seemed to center onto hers, showing everything that a beast was and should be. This wasn't Beast Boy. It was an animal… and Raven _loved _it.

Capturing Raven's lips once again, Beast Boy growled in the back of his throat at the sensations running through his body. Unlike her, he had someone else to compare this kiss to. Evaluating each type, Beast Boy knew Raven won hands down. The way she kissed him was slow and gentle as if ever she wanted to savor the sensation every time his lips touched hers. Terra usually attacked him like a starving animal trying to find food in his mouth. It was strange how he'd thought he'd enjoyed that until now.

Pulling her into his lap, Beast Boy chuckled as he heard another object in the room fall victim to Raven's magic. It was almost a game to him now. The better he made her feel, the more explosions. Feeling adventurous, Beast Boy dared to trace the hem of the bottom of her shirt before allowing his hand to trail circles up her back, causing yet another explosion of an innocent stationary object in the room.

Pulling away with a gasping breath, Raven rested her head on Beast Boy's shoulder. She watched as his silted eyes expanded back to their original shape. "Wow," she whispered with a breathless chuckle. Still holding her in his lap, Beast Boy could only manage an amused grin. Enjoying the warm happy emotions swirling around inside of Beast Boy, Raven visibly gasped as the fell away to reveal heart crushing guilt.

Beast Boy had been so enjoying what he had just shared with Raven he had entirely forgotten the existence of a girl named Terra. Five seconds ago, if someone had offered him one million dollars if he could name a girl with earth based powers, he'd being digging quarters out of the sofa. Which made it that much more painful when he remembered.

"You're still going to choose her," Raven whispered in amazement. Beast Boy looked upon her unimaginable pain in his eyes that broke Raven's heart into a thousand pieces. "Ok," she whispered as she pulled herself off his lap. The pain in her chest rippled like a thousand needles.

"Raven," Beast Boy croaked out, searching for any words that could express how he felt at that moment. But found none.

"I said its okay!" Raven whispered back this time filled with anger. "You said you were there outside the door listening to our conversation. That means you know she's keeping secrets from you, lying to you… and you're still going to go back to her. If you're really that stupid, then ok… you can have her." Hearing it all said out loud, Raven felt a bitter chuckle form in the back of her throat.

"She…she needs me Raven. There's nothing I can do," he swore, begging for forgiveness. He'd screwed up. He'd screwed up bad. Maybe so bad he was about to lose one of his closest friends, and maybe even more than that.

Raven felt her rage spike as he started to speak his excuses. _"Leave," _Raven shouted, scaring Beast Boy as her four demonic eyes appeared. The room began to shake as Raven lost more and more of her control. _"You've made your choice! Get out!"_By this point Raven's magic had completely changed her, bringing out her fangs and all. Seeing no other option, Beast Boy did as he was told and left the room in a fast sprint. Seeing her crush leave the room, Raven slowly reverted back to her original form, retaining only four weeping demonic eyes.

xXx

Walking down to the garage, Cyborg stopped his steps as he spotted his blond haired friend Terra about to walk out of the Tower. "Hey, Terra! What's goin on girl," he playfully asked with a grin. It had been awhile since he'd seen her.

Not bothering to turn around, Terra's response was an emotionless husk compared to her usable sunny voice. "I got some stuff to do… I'll be back by morning." Terra spoke through the shadow of her hair. Not bothering to wait for a response, Terra left the Tower flinging herself into the shadow of the night sky, and disappearing into its never-ending void.

* * *

**Well there it is folks! I hope you enjoyed my BBRae scene; sorry it took me so long to finally wright one. But don't worry! Now that Beast boy has had a taste, I'm sure he's gonna come back for more. Now hows about you guys show me some love with that review button. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: hey guys I hope you all enjoy this chapter. School almost up for me so hopefully ill be able to update a bit faster than usual and I just want to thank you all who reviewed my last chapter. You guys rock. Anyway, enjoy! This chapter was betaed by Hezberek Necronom Mortix.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.**

* * *

As Terra pushed herself over the body of a fallen tree, she took a second to rest her weary muscles and lay her back against its trunk. Slapping one of the millions of mosquitoes surrounding her, Terra vented her frustration by letting out a hushed swear.

Looking for Slade had proved more difficult than Terra had planned. Originally, she had decided to look for Slade in the abandoned bases he had littered about the outskirts of Jump City. While she had been under his apprenticeship, Slade had bequeathed to her the knowledge of all his bases and their locations. But as luck would have it, things weren't that easy. In those two years she had stood frozen in stone, the landscapes and foliage had changed unbelievably. And now as she approached day four of her secret search, Terra found any hope of finding Slade dwindle with each passing drop of blood that was sucked from her body

Feeling yet another itchy prick pierce her skin, Terra shook her head in wonder at how she had managed to go months at a time without the comfort of a roof. The Towers made me soft, she realized with a grimace. When she got back to the Tower, Terra made sure to remember to plan a camping trip. It would be good to reconnect with her wanderer past.

As Terra lifted her back from the tree, she gazed into the darkness of the forest around her, looking for the slightest sign of Slade's next hideout. This of course would have been much simpler if not for the fact it was currently the middle of the night.

If it were daytime, Terra could have easily flown on a hunk of earth and searched from overhead. But unfortunately that wasn't an option. In order for the rest of the Teen Titans to not suspect her, Terra had to return home every morning before the break of dawn and leave every night after they had gone to bed. This left only the night to host her adventures into the wilderness. And seeing as how Terra could barely see her own feet beneath her, she seriously doubted she would have any hope of spotting any of Slade's bases from the sky.

Gazing up at the dim crescent moon above her in the night sky, Terra could see she only had a few hours left before she had to return. Terra decided she'd had enough rest time and leapt of the tree trunk to continue her search. As Terra continued to fail to find Slade's hidden base, she couldn't help but wonder if all her efforts were in vain. The past five bases she had managed to uncover were no help at all. If they were even still standing they had become reduced to mere ruins; completely uninhabitable and most disappointing of all, untouched. For all she knew, Slade could be in an entirely different country, because from what she'd seen, he sure as hell wasn't in Jump City anymore.

Pushing through a thorn filled bush, Terra cried out as one of its branches sliced her calf. _How am I gonna explain this one to Beast Boy,_ she wondered, massaging her newest wound. Taking a second to think about it, Terra decided she most likely didn't have anything to worry about. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the past few days Beast Boy seemed to be totally distant. Terra had meant to ask him what was on his mind, but since she had taken up her nightly missions, she found the energy to even be awake becoming harder and harder to find. Let alone manage to entertain him enough to keep her façade a secret. And even if she wasn't catching up on the sleep that she was missing each night, the couple still just couldn't find a good time to just hang out. _Once I figure out what's happening with me, I'll be able to spend the rest of my life with Beast Boy,_ Terra decided, striking the guilt from her conscience.

Spotting a sparkling object in a beam of moonlight, Terra ran up to it nearly collapsing joy. She'd finally found Slade's next hideout. Pressing the disk shaped 'S' insignia implanted in the open to reveal a passageway. This was good sign. Half the time the bases were in such duress she had been forced to blow the doorway open herself.

Steeping into the dark entryway, Terra descended the steep staircase, always keeping one hand on the stone wall for support. As Terra reached the end of the staircase, she immediately noticed the difference in atmosphere this base held compared to the others. Every other hideout she had uncovered had been cold and the air stale. She had immediately known that there was nothing to be found but a few piles of dust and had exited them accordingly. But this place was… different.

Terra didn't believe in ghosts, especially after having died herself, but as Terra's feet slowly crept her body to the center of the circular, dome like room, she couldn't help but feel her skin crawl as the sensation of a specter's gaze swept across her body.

"Hello, Terra," a seductive voice slithered through the room's silence. Stepping out from behind one of the many pillars encircling the room, Slade appeared just as he was the day Terra had killed him. "So good to see my little apprentice once again," Slade drawled as his single eye leered with soundless resentment.

Terra stood frozen, openly gaping as her former master crept closer and closer. His footsteps echoed around the room only adding to his grandiose. Terra's heart hammered in her chest as Slade began to circle her, much like a shark would right before it was about to devour its prey.

Terra wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she began her search for her former master. Maybe a journal or even a map to find where he was really hiding, but she never expected _this_! Thinking back on it, Terra guessed a part of hadn't really believed that she would ever be able to locate him. But she had, and now that she found him, she couldn't move a muscle. "Slade," a breathless whisper forced itself through her throat.

Slade's eye crinkled with amusement. At the sound of his young ex-companion's voice, Slade's footsteps silenced immediately as he tuned facing Terra. "It's been far too long," his false sincerity flowed from his lips like a river. Cupping his hand underneath her chin, Slade wrenched her eyes upwards to meet his. "We simply must catch up," he hissed out his eye going wide with rage.

Terra finally felt her strength return to her as she forced her legs to carry her backward, rending her face from Slade's clutches. "Don't touch me," she hissed out with equal venom. Now free from Slade's spell, Terra found herself huffing and puffing with each breath.

Slade regarded her with cool inference as he turned his head away, adopting his customary regal posture. Slade held his head high as he drew his shoulders back and cupped his hand onto his forearms behind his back. He stared off into the ceiling, silently enjoying the effect he was having on Terra. "It was quite the surprise you know," he spoke back in his calm, charismatic voice, "when I learned of your resurrection," he clarified. "I almost couldn't believe it… but here you are," he voiced as he whipped his head back to gaze at Terra.

Terra gulped as she finally calmed herself enough to catch her breath. "How did you even know I was alive?" Terra inquired nervously, rubbing her bruised chin.

Slade said nothing as he stalked his way behind Terra. Idly catching one of Terra's disheveled locks of hair, he brought the platinum blond strands in front of Terra's eyes forcing her to look. "Dear sweet child. Did you really think that suit was the only piece of technology I attached to your body?" plucking a single strand from her head Slade brought it up to his eye. "Why, even as we speak millions of my little robots are coursing through your blood." Seeing the pale shaken face of his apprentice, Slade smirked behind his mask before continuing. "I knew you were alive the second your heart started to beat. Although, even I'm surprised that they survived inside your body throughout your petrification," he remarked, shaking the hair from his hand. Smiling, Slade brought his hand back you her cheek but this time simply caressed it, allowing Terra to stare at him in shock. "But thank goodness they did," he spoke brushing the back of his hand against her soft cheek. "Or I would have never known my beloved apprentice was searching for me."

As Slade finished his words Terra felt her stomach churn with bile. As if Slade's touch wasn't enough the news that Slade still held a place in her body made her want to vomit.

"So now the question comes to mind… why?" Slade asked dropping all pretenses of manners.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Terra struggled to keep her objective in mind. "Your face," she forced out. Why was it so hard to talk when he was around?

Slade pulled away regarding her crudely. "Now I believed even you had more wit than that," Slade commented in a disappointed tone.

Terra blushed as she realized how her words sounded. "No, No! I mean… I came here because I need to see your face."

At that, Slade's hidden eyebrows rose. "My, my. How interesting. Have you really missed it that much?" Slade asked, sliding his hand down to her shoulder.

Terra fought to hide the embarrassment that had come with that question. As her former master's hand traveled lower to her exposed midriff, Terra couldn't help but remember the more… tender moments she had shared with him. Intertwined with her deep seeded hate for the man, she could still feel that spark of attraction that had been her doom from the beginning. "Please," Terra begged trying her best to keep buried her forgotten past.

Stilling his hand, Slade looked at her thoughtfully. He decided to take pity on the poor girl and give her what she came for. Releasing the clasps, Slade gripped his mask in one hand and reviled the face of an ordinary well-aged man. His right eye held a simple black eye patch that ran through to his steel grey hair. A small patch of facial hair rested on his upper lip down to his chin in a simple goatee.

As Terra gazed upon her former master, she actually forgot her reason for coming and instead took a moment to just stare at him. It was so easy to give him the face of demon when he wore that mask. She had completely disregarded the man she had come to know in the months of training. Shaking those thoughts away, Terra knew the last thing she needed right now was to bring past feelings to the surface.

Pushing her emotions aside, Terra gazed deeply into Slade's face searching for a hint of light. Seconds ticked by and then minutes, but still Terra stood staring and staring refusing to turn away.

"Disappointed?" Slade finally asked, seeing the confliction dance across Terra's face.

"I can't see it," Terra anguished as she gave up. What was going on? Had Max really been lying to her? Just messing with her head? Well he did one hell of a job! "You died," Terra clarified pointing a finger in Slade's face. Had she made some kind of mistake?

Slade merely chuckled before placing his mask back on his face. "Yes, I did. You saw to that didn't you?" Slade remarked dryly.

"But then you came back," she whispered, desperate for answers.

Slade this time brought Terra's hand to his chest so she could feel his beating heart. "I assure you, I am no ghost," he remarked sarcastically.

Feeling the warmth of his chest seep into her hand, Terra, in a moment of weakness, allowed the emotional exhaustion that she had been suppressing to overwhelm her and rested her head on Slade's sternum. "Then why can't I see it," she whispered pathetically. Still resting her blond head on Slade's chest, Terra was assaulted by the memories she had shared with this man. The brutal training he had given her that grinded her bones to dust, the stern hand she would awaken to every morning, even the way she had had felt her heart shudder with excitement when he had first approached her. No, her time spent with him hadn't been all bad …But that was an entire life time ago.

As Terra leaned against his tall frame Slade remained motionless as stoic as a statue. "I don't know what you came looking for, but clearly you have not found it," Slade mocked, pushing the young girl from his body. Things had turned a little too sentimental for his taste.

Whipping a tear from her cheek, Terra had one last question for Slade to answer. "When you died… where did you go?" Terra demanded firmly.

Stepping away with a small chuckle, Slade's eye swept the floor beneath him completely unfocused. "Curious to know what hell is like?" Slade joked tauntingly. Seeing no visible reaction come from his form apprentice Slade sighed in disappointment. "Whatever answer you're seeking from me I can assure you, you won't find it."

Seeing Terra's face hold patiently, Slade could see she wasn't going to leave without an answer. "I'm sorry to disappoint you my dear, but I never did quite make it to hell. Before I could be taken to any place that might be called an afterlife, your lovely friend Raven's father offered me my life back in return for a few certain… favors," Slade informed her making no effort to hide his bitterness. "Whatever you might have experienced while on the other side I am happy to say I still haven't the faintest idea what is waiting for me upon my death."

Terra stared at the man in shock. It would seem Raven was going to be a pain in her ass no matter where she went. But more importantly, he hadn't been to the white place! That was why she was unable to see his light. And that was why he still held his original body. Terra felt like weeping in sorrow as she realized all of her efforts had been in vain. Falling to her knees, Terra's eyes blurred with tears.

Slade watched this without emotion. He had learned what he'd set out for and now he was done. It was time for him to leave. Abandoning the weeping girl, Slade felt nothing for his former apprentice. Whatever might have connected them in the past, be it lust, amusement, or even affection, had disappeared quiet rapidly after Terra's betrayal.

Terra gazed at his retreating form in confusion. "You're… you're not going to try to destroy me?" Terra asked, shocked. She had been fully expecting Slade to try and exact his vengeance on her.

Slade paused in his steps and turned to face Terra with a cold eye. "Do not mistake this as mercy, child." Walking back over to Terra, Slade's form grew more and more imposing with each step. "I tell you this not to insult you, but to warn you," Slade informed her as loomed over his fallen apprentice. "You are a plague. You came to me believing that the reason for everyone was suffering around you was because of your inability to control your powers, but you are wrong. You were the reason for their misfortune. Something about you infects people's lives, destroying them from the inside out. Even today you continue to spread your misfortune with everyone around you." Seeing the flash of confusion spread across Terra's face, Slade sneered in pity for her ignorance. "Although I have not confronted the Titans in quite some time, do not think I have not been keeping track of them. And that is how I know their misfortune did not start until your return. You are the reason they have fallen from grace and it is you who will be their ultimate destruction… just as you were mine. That, my dear ignorant child, is the price we must pay for knowing you." Walking back to the exit, Slade took one last look back at his former apprentice and gave her look so full of self-satisfaction, it made her breath stop. "You asked me why I have not destroyed you? Well to that I ask you this. Why should I bother when you're doing a perfectly fine job yourself?" and with that, Slade exited the building and strode off to his next agenda.

Terra stared in disbelief as she processed his words. When it came down to it, all Slade have ever cared about was himself. That was why no matter how much they had shared emotionally and… physically, she had chosen the Teen Titans. She had chosen Beast Boy. But still, no matter how much she loved Beast Boy, to hear those words come from someone she had once cared for hurt. More than any knife to the heart ever could. And so that is why, even though Terra knew he was evil, even though Terra knew she should already be back home in her bed, she remained where she was. Because deep down she realized, Slade had just spoken every fear her heart had ever held.

xXx

As Beast Boys unfocused eye continued to stare drearily into space, he pulled an excess amount of air in to his lungs only to let it out in a loud, exaggerated sigh. Laying face down with his head buried in a pillow, the young goblin-colored boy felt his mood become one of gloom and depression. As if to match his mood, the room around Beast Boy remained in perpetual darkness without even the flickering of video games to illuminate it. Through the darkness if one were able to peer through it, one would be able to see the state of Beast Boy's usually messy room exasperated beyond what even he considered livable conditions.

Debris and fragmented furniture were scattered throughout the room around him. Jagged gashes littered the walls in a frenzy of slashes that reached so deep; light from the adjacent room could be seen. At first glance, Beast Boy's room would seem as though it had been attacked by a stampede of wild and dangerous animals… and that is exactly what had happened.

After fleeing from the enraged Raven, Beast Boy had escaped to his room and destroyed everything in sight. Once reality had set in and allowed him to realize just what he had done, Beast Boy had been thrown into a frenzy of self-loathing and rage that no one could have stopped. The hurt expression on Raven's face had been all that filled his mind, her hurt expression, and the knowledge that he was the one responsible for putting it there.

To Beast Boy, that was what hurt him the most. It was because of his actions, his decisions that Raven had been hurt. He and no one else.

Rolling onto his back, with his animalistic eyes, Beast Boy could see perfectly with the minimal light streaming into the room and stared at the top bunk above him, dead to the world. After he had managed to calm himself down from his episode, Beast Boy had laid himself down on his bed unmoving for four days. For those that had come to inspect the noise his episode had caused, they were met with a gruff and tired looking Beast Boy that left them confused but placated. Even when Terra had come knocking on his door once or twice, he had sent her away without remorse.

At first Beast Boy had been surprised, even worried by his attitude towards his girlfriend, but in time even that disappeared into the whirlpool of negative emotions swishing about in his heart. He still liked Terra; his newfound emotions for Raven hadn't changed that. But as much as he liked Terra, he couldn't help but feel his heart pound at the image of Raven's face in his mind.

Throwing an arm over his eyes, Beast Boy groaned, his frown deepening as his brain became even more scrambled at the complexity of his internal dilemma. He knew what he _should_ feel. He knew that should regret the kiss. Regret the smell of her hair, the memories of the way her hands felt against his chest, the… taste of her lips, but oh no! No… those were not the reasons his heart was plagued with regret. In fact, if he were being truthful, Beast Boy would say that those were some of the most treasured memories he will ever experience.

But at the same time… he did regret it. As wonderful and magical as the moment he had shared with Raven had been, in the end all it will cause is pain. On top of what he had already done to Raven, once Terra had found out about what he had done, he would end up hurting her too.

A part of him, a small part that he hoped would never come to the surface, begrudgingly harbored a tiny shred of resentment towards Terra. If not for her, he and Raven… who knows what could happen between them. But he was with Terra, and excluding these past days he was very happy to be with her.

Pulling himself out of bed for what seemed like the first time in days, Beast Boy staggered over to his adjoining bathroom and splashed a handful of cold water from the sink into his face. Watching the water droplets drip from his face in the mirror, Beast Boy searched for answers for what he was going to do.

He liked Raven, but he was with Terra. And no matter what, he was going to honor that commitment. If he just ignored his feelings for Raven, soon they would just go away. And hopefully someday, Raven would forgive him for what he did. Steeling his resolve, Beast Boy closed his eyes and forced his brain to clear itself of any and all images of Raven. He would be a good boyfriend. He would stand by Terra no matter what, because she needed him, and it was his duty to stay loyal to her.

Beas Boy repeated this vow again and again in his mind. He repeated it until finally, the visage of Raven left his mind. Sighing with depression, Beast Boy could only pray that soon his heart would follow. Drying his face clean, Beast Boy resolved himself as a plan of redemption soon formed in his head. He would get some rest, apologize to Raven, spend some time with Terra, and once again everything would return to the way they were supposed to.

Curling under the covers of his bed, Beast Boy slipped away into sleep, all the while dreaming of a faint scent that reminded him of lavender… and incense.

xXx

Raven was moping; plain and simple. She realized this fact but held no desire to change it. She did not have used, snot filled tissues strewn about the room, nor was she nursing a gallon of ice cream with a single spoon. She wasn't crying her eyes out and moaning day and night about her crushed heart. But she was moping; the sloth like weight on her body was more than enough to realize that.

Stepping out of her meditative pose, Raven stretched her stiff muscles sighing in frustration. What was once her one escape from the troubles and messes of the world had become nothing more than a floating pity party. Every time she had attempted to meditate and calm her mind of her worries but all that she would accomplished was reminiscing on that horrible day and wallowing in her pain.

Summoning one of her many books from their shelf, Raven leafed through them in a bored but rushed manor in any hope that they might distract her. Feeling her agitation escalate, Raven gasped as the book exploded in a flash of black magic. Watching the pages float down to the floor around her, Raven sighed tiredly. Without proper meditation she was unable to grasp hold of her emotions properly and this was the result.

Raven left the pages where they fell and solemnly walked over to her bed before lying on top of it. No matter what she did, Raven just couldn't find the strength to pull her mind together. It was maddening! If she didn't do something to distract herself from the sadness of that night she knew she was going to lose control of her powers again and she refused to allow that to happen a second time. She refused to allow that… stupid idiot to continue to affect her emotions.

Closing her eyes, Raven once again drifted back to that night and cringed with pain. She had known that she had been playing a dangerous game, and she had been prepared for getting hurt. She just hadn't been prepared for Beast Boy to be the one to do it.

Clutching her heart in confusion, Raven hated what was happening to her. She _hated_ Beast Boy, but at the same time she still liked him. Even more so than before thanks to that kiss, and all that did was amplify the pain of rejection a million times over. She despised this feeling. This was a feeling for the weak and she was not. She wasn't some doe eyed teenager that couldn't function unless she had boyfriend. And yet here she was… mooning after a boy that had kissed her and left her for another woman. Maybe she really was messed up in the head.

_Beep Beep_

Looking over to her nightstand, Raven reached for her chirping T-Com and opened it to see the face of her leader Robin.

"Everyone, meet in the common room in five minutes," he briefly spoke before the screen went black.

Clutching the communication device, Raven closed her eyes mentally preparing herself to face Beast Boy again. Walking over to her dresser, she quickly threw on a pair of black pants and a long sleeved top, and then she was off to the common room. Raven silently hoped that the reason Robin called this meeting was because there was some villain to fight because she could really use a punching bag to let off some steam.

Stepping through the archway to the common room, Raven looked to see she was the last one there and silently joined the group to listen to what Robin had to say.

Looking at his friends in a serious demeanor, Robin's sudden grin took the team by surprise. "Let's go into town for some pizza," he spoke happily. The five other Titans in the room looked at him oddly as if he had sprouted another head.

"Dude?" Beast Boy asked confused.

Lowering the brightness of his smile, Robin looked on his team with a slightly melancholy expression. "I just thought it would be a fun idea to hang out like we used to," he explained. "It's been so long since the last time we all just went out to have some fun with each other. And not to mention all the crap that's been going on lately I'd be nice to relax for a little bit."

As per Starfire's usual outlook on life, she was immediately on board. "Wonderful, we shall all enjoy the time of quality." She giggled, excited to spend time with her friends. "I shall fetch the mustard." She announced with glee.

Cyborg smiled happily patting his stomach. "I could go for a slice."

Raven, Beast Boy, and Terra on the other hand had a slightly less enthusiastic response. Terra, both physically and emotionally exhausted from her night out with Slade, had just barely managed to sneak into the Tower before Robin's message had gone out. And Raven and Beast Boy… well they were just doing their best to avoid the other person entirely. Beast Boy out of guilt, and Raven out of self-preservation. But, not wanting their sour moods questioned, the three agreed, mumbling half-hearted responses.

Not noticing that half of his team seemed to be completely apathetic, Robin smiled happily and motioned for his team to follow him as he set off for the garage. He hoped that he would have many opportunities to enjoy an outing with his friends. With everything that had been happening these past days they needed a break. And hopefully some sunshine and pizza would be able to brighten their day. Sighing tiredly, Robin did his best to keep his smile light and carefree. After all, no one needed to know that the one who need this outing the most was he himself.

Dragging her feet, Terra shuffled along doing her best to keep up with her friends as they spoke to one another about random mundane topics she was too tired to pay attention to. She had managed to get all the twigs and leafs out of her hair on her way back to the Tower but even so she still looked horrible and not to mention smelled of sweat. As much as she wanted to bury her head in Beast Boy's shoulder she didn't want him to think she was disgusting. She would just have to wait until she had a chance to shower.

"Hey Terra," a voice snuck up behind her. _Or not. _Looking behind her Terra's eyes widened as in her drowsy state, Beast Boy had managed to creep behind her and take her by surprise.

"Hey Beast Boy," she nervously answered. Seeing that he wasn't cringing from her presence, Terra sighed in relief. This being the first chance in a while to actually spend some time with her boyfriend, Terra took a good look at him and was slightly startled at what she found.

His outward appearance wasn't too startling except for the slight unkemptness of his hair, but it was his eyes that truly startled her. Beast Boy's lime green eyes that usually shown with mischief and joy seemed empty. The sight worried Terra, and made her wonder what on earth could have made him this way. Then with a sudden realization, Terra concluded that it must have been her fault that he was in such a sour mood. _Oh my god, I can't believe how much I've been neglecting him!_ Reaching out with her hand, Terra clasped Beast Boy's fingers in an iron grip swearing to herself to make up for lost time.

"Terra?" Beast Boy asked raising an eyebrow in surprise. He wasn't expecting her to be so affectionate after the way he had just turned her away before.

Sheepishly looking at him from behind her long tresses of golden hair, Terra gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry I haven't been around much lately," she apologized inching her steps slightly closer so their shoulder brushed as they walked.

This time Beast Boy's turn to become sheepish; he discreetly took a glance in Raven's direction. "No… it's been my fault," he assured, turning his eyes back to his blond haired girlfriend. Seeing her boyfriend's admission as nothing more than selfless behavior, Terra smiled happily before pecking Beast Boy on the cheek.

Nervously checking in Raven's direction at Terra's kiss, Beast Boy cursed himself for his action. It wasn't any of her business who he kissed. Why should he care if she saw? He should be focusing on Terra, not Raven.

Deciding to do just that, Beast Boy returned Terra's smile while happily putting his arm around her slender waist. Enjoying the warmth and feel of Terra's body close to his, Beast Boy stubbornly ignored the annoying voice in his head that compared the feel of Raven's body to Terra's.

Stepping into Cyborg's garage, the team's idle chitchat came to an end as one by one the seats in the T-car were claimed. Rushing into his favored, custom leather driving seat, Cyborg smiled happily as his mechanical hands wrapped themselves around the steering wheel and he waited for his friends to follow.

Being the always competitive challenger that he was, Robin was the first to call shotgun and slid happily into his claimed seat with a triumphant grin plastered on his face. Excited to eat out with her friends, Starfire merely joined her boyfriend up front placing herself between him and Cyborg bouncing with joy. Looking out the window, Robin saw three of his friends still standing in the garage and smiled at the ushering them into the car. "Come on guys, let's go eat!"

Remaining where they were, each of the three still standing made no move to enter the car. For them it was easy to see how the seating arrangement had been laid out for them and not one of them was happy at all. With no other alternative, Raven, Beast Boy, and Terra would be forced to share the back seat each with the last person they wanted to see, let alone sit next to for an entire car ride.

Being the most mature, Raven saw that there was no escaping this situation without making a scene and was the first one to enter the car. Sitting as close to the far door as possible, Raven crossed her arms and stared out the car's window impudently.

Cyborg honked his horn his horn in irritation hurrying the two stragglers to move it along. "Come on guys I got an extra-large meat lovers waitin' for me and I don't want to keep her waiting." He ordered as his stomach let out a howling growl as if to emphasize his point.

Taking a deep draw of air, Beast Boy suddenly found himself in very close quarters with Raven as he and Terra were rushed into the car. With the thundering growl of the engine, all six Teen Titans found themselves hurtling towards the city.

Doing his best to distract himself from the awkward situation, Beast Boy tried focusing on Starfire excited rambles but his eyes seemed to win the war as they continued on glancing at Raven.

Risking another peek, Beast Boy felt his heart fall as his eyes were met with a wall of cold indifference that refused to even acknowledge him. To Beast Boy this was worse than any amount of rage could ever be. As Raven's eyes flickered in the reflection of the mirror, Beast Boy was forced to rapidly turn his head away as in that brief second Raven's eyes had met his.

"Are you ok?" Terra asked worried about his peculiar actions. Out of reflex, Beast Boy took another involuntary peek at Raven only to see that she was still staring at them through the reflection of the glass. Nodding his head absent mindedly, Beast Boy's ears drooped as Raven once again turned her attention back to the passing sights that rushed by.

Nuzzling her head into Beast Boy's shoulder, Terra shot a possessive glare in Raven's direction suddenly wishing that she had taken the middle seat instead of Beast Boy. To her surprise, Raven seemed to have little, to no interest at all in her boyfriend. In fact, to Terra it seemed as though she was actively doing her best to outright ignore him! _What happened when I was gone?_ Terra wondered, confused.

Traveling in awkward silence, the three Teen Titans waited next to each other uncomfortably until finally their destination drew near. Bursting out of the car, Cyborg drew in a large breath of pizza-scented air and sighed dreamily in elation. "You guys head up to the table. I'm gonna order," he informed happily before setting off to into the pizza store.

Settling into their favorite table, the Teen Titans enjoyed each other's company until finally they saw Cyborg approaching their table with a large pizza box in each hand. "Hope y'all are hungry 'cause I got two steaming boxes of cheesy deliciousness right here!" he exclaimed, grinning jovially. The second those pizza boxes hit the table, the Teen Titans all jumped into them with the decorum of a school of piranhas.

Looking up from his current and third slice of pizza, Robin watched confused as he became aware of the lack of consumption his three friends exhibited. "What's the matter? Why aren't you guys eating?" he asked slightly concerned.

"Yea, you guys have been acting weird all day! What's up?" Cyborg added in.

Terra and Beast Boy began to squirm under their friends questioning gaze as each of them worried for their secret's exposure. Sitting as calm and expressionless as ever, Raven said nothing as she continued to stare listlessly into the grease pool that was beginning to accumulate on her paper plate. Startling everyone, Raven quickly stood from her seat and escaped back into the pizza building. "I have to use the restroom," she quickly muttered.

Shooting Robin a very worried expression, Starfire waited not even five seconds before she too rushed into the pizza-shaped building searching for her friend so she might discover what was troubling her.

Gingerly, Starfire opened the door to the woman's restroom and spotted Raven hunched over one of the porcelain sinks with a clear look of frustration etched into her features. "Friend Raven, what is troubling you?" Starfire asked, placing a comforting hand on her friend's tense shoulder.

Looking at her worried friend in the reflection of the bathroom's mirror, Raven gave her a pained expression before it crumbled into another mask of detached impassiveness. "I'm fine, Starfire, don't worry about me." Unable to take her friend's worried expression, Raven was forced to turn her head exposing her neck and what laid on it.

Gasping, Starfire cupped her hand over her mouth in astonishment as she gazed at the fading purpled blotch that lay on her friend's neck. As naive as Starfire appeared to be to most people, thanks to Robin she had more than enough experience to identify what that type of marking meant.

Tracing Starfire's startled eyes, Raven was quick to discover what the source of her exclamation was and promptly covered it with her hand. For the past four days that stupid mark had been the bane of her existence as it remained branded on the crock of her neck refusing to completely disappear.

"You have successfully acquired your admired one?" Starfire hesitantly asked.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Raven sighed as she found herself trapped without escape. "Not… exactly," she muttered sadly. On edge from her lack of meditation, Raven relented her hold on her emotions and concluded that if she were able to tell anyone that had happened, it would be Starfire. "Thanks for the advice you gave me the other day Starfire, but I think it's best if we both just forget the whole thing."

"What has happened to make you think this way?" Starfire urged in confusion.

Casting her eyes downward, Raven sighed, her eyebrows wrinkled as that night's events once again circulated through her mind. "He knew how I felt about him… the entire time," Raven whispered in disbelief, recalling the words he had whispered into her ear. "He knew but didn't say one word and just sat there watching me make a complete fool of myself," she now spoke with anger lacing her words.

Feeling Starfire's comforting hand lower to hers, Raven was grateful she didn't interrupt her for fear she might not have been able to continue. "And even after all of that he still kissed me just to tell me that he was still going to stay with _her_." Raven forced a dark chuckle to escape from her mouth at the end of her words. To say them out loud had hurt almost as much as experiencing them first hand, but at least this time she had a friend to help her.

Raven felt her friend's hand leave her only to feel Starfire's arms wrap around her lithe frame in an unmistakably comforting hug. The sudden act of affection surprised Raven as her immediate response was to push her orange skinned friend away, but then feeling the warmth of Starfire's embrace, Raven felt comforted by her friend's action and instead returned it happy to be able to depend on someone in her time of need.

"I am sorry for your pain," Starfire sincerely apologized wishing nothing more than the happiest of lives for one of her closest friends. Resting her head on Starfire's shoulder, Raven nodded her head in response. "Why did you feel as though you should be alone in your time of pain? You should have come to your friends," Starfire admonished knowing her friends had been suffering alone in silence.

Pulling away, Raven once again cast her eyes downward awkwardly shifting struggling with some internal dilemma that Starfire knew she would need to drag out. "You can tell me. Whatever it is you can tell me."

Sighing, Raven inwardly chuckled at how Starfire was reassuring her. So many people joked about Starfire could be so childlike, when in actuality it seemed as though she was the most mature of them all at times. "The reason I didn't come to you guys is because… the guy I liked was Beast Boy…" Raven admitted for the first time. "I thought it would be a little weird," she muttered embarrassed.

Starfire gazed at her friend in shock, her mind racing as she realized that everything Raven had told her matched Beast Boy's situation. It was shocking to say the least. Beast Boy was the last person she had expected to gain Raven's affections. Looking at her friend, Starfire finally began to realize just how difficult her situation really was. Giving her a sympathetic look, Starfire sighed before telling her friend what she had to do. "We must tell Robin."

Raven looked at her friend in shock. She hadn't even wanted to tell Starfire and now Starfire wanted to tell Robin? "Why? I just want to forget any of this ever happened," Raven demanded, silently begging that her friend would allow her to do just that.

"What has happened affects the entire team. It is too dangerous for us to simply ignore it. We must tell Robin so that we may all get together and talk this through."

Frowning, Raven knew that Starfire was right. On a team communication is everything. A person could get hurt if even just one person isn't in sync with everyone else. _Well in that case._

"There's more," Raven admitted meeting Starfire's eyes with confidence. "Terra's hiding things, big things, and I'm not just saying that because she's dating Beast Boy." Raven felt good finally getting everything out in the open. She wasn't telling Starfire this in hopes that in some way it would cause Terra to fall into trouble. She simply was sick and tired of all the lies and secrets that that she and Terra and Beast Boy had all been forced into for no apparent reason. It was time to come clean, and it felt good.

Starfire regarded her friend cautiously. "What do you mean? What has friend Terra been hiding?" Starfire became worried at her friend's words.

"She knows more about what's going lately than she's letting on. The only reason I know is because we've been blackmailing each other and I forced it out of her. She knows about the people stealing other people's bodies but for some reason she's too scared to tell anyone." Sighing in relief, Raven felt half of her worries dissipate away.

A frightened expression on her face, Starfire took Raven's hand in hers and ushered her back to the table. "This cannot wait. We must inform Robin of this now."

To hear her friend Terra could be hiding information like that worried Starfire. When Terra had turned against Slade to aid them in his destruction, they had all forgiven her and adamantly decided to trust her if they ever managed to find a cure. So to think there could be a chance of Terra betraying them once more… truly hurt Starfire's heart.

Nodding her head, Raven and Starfire left the restroom and in a hurried walk, rushed back outside to where their friends were eating their food. Bursting through the doorway, Starfire and Raven looked to see their friends just where they had left them.

"Robin, I have information you shou-." Stopping mid-sentence, Starfire watched confused as neither he nor any of her other friends seemed to be paying any attention to her. Instead they all seemed to be preoccupied staring off into the same direction. Lining up her their eyes with their friend's, Starfire and Raven could see what had caught their attention.

In the direction of their attention, a large building seemed to have been punched through as a large hole stood out just above the first floor. People and cars could be seen fleeing in an effort to escape harm. Once gone, the only sound that could be heard was the still settling gravel that rained from the aforementioned hole. A small cloud of dust and debris could be seen settling with three shadows hidden within its cover. Stepping forward, a well-dressed young man could be seen offering a polite yet condescending smile on his lips. "Hello little pebble."

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**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one. Please show me some love and press that review button! See you guys next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: sup people! Here's the next chapter for you all to enjoy. A lot going to happen so when you're done be sure to leave me a review of what you thought. Enjoy! This chapter has been betaed by Necronom Hezberek Mortix.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

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Standing calm and composed, the mysterious young man, who could be no older than seventeen, stood wearing a blazer over what looked like a t-shirt and denim jeans. He shrugged as he brushed away the stray rubble that had managed to find its way onto his jacket. Observing the Teen Titans' ridged battle stances, he smiled at them, amused.

As a heavy wind blew through the empty street, the cloud of dust and sediment was washed away revealing the two shadows that hid inside. Standing with an overconfident smirk loomed an extremely inappropriately dressed woman who appeared to be in her early twenty's with long black hair that reached the small of her back. She wore what could only be described as a black leather bikini with matching thigh high boots with her collar tightly bound to her neck. She stood hands on her hips, staring shamelessly at the men she would soon be engaging in battle with.

Next to her stood a poorly dressed man who, to the Titans, looked like this was the last place he wanted to be. Fidgeting and squirming like a bug under a microscope, this second man was garbed in a grey hoodie and sweat pants that looked as though they had not been washed in days. He stood shorter than his two companions but made up for it with his mass. Seeing his less than attractive physique, the Titans could see this man out weighed both of his other companions combined.

Stepping behind their leader, the two followers backed the mysterious man as to show him as their leader. "Now Robin, I have to say I expected a slightly warmer reaction than this," the man taunted, gesturing with his hands towards their cold, attack-ready figures.

Gritting his teeth, Robin lowered his weapon and walked over to the railing that enclosed the porch of the restaurant. Gripping the cold iron in his hands, Robin looked down from the ledge at the three newcomers. "Who are you?" Robin demanded. "And why are you destroying city property?"

Closing his eyes, a wistful smile appeared on the man's face as if Robin had recited his favorite. "Oh Robin," he chuckled. "I knew you would be civil." Opening his eyes, the odd behaving man began to snap off the buttons that held his jacket closed to reveal a much simpler plain red t-shirt. "I would like to apologize for the damages I've caused, but it was the only way I could think of to properly get your attention." Stripping off the jacket completely, the man now stood in his shirt and jeans. "Much better," he muttered to himself.

Annoyed by the man's attitude, Robin ever present temper reared its ugly head. "I said, who are you!?" he demanded once more. "And what do you want with us?" he added.

Feigning false pain, the man held his hands close to his heart. "Oh Robin, you don't remember me?" he asked smiling wickedly. "Well I guess I can't blame you. I have changed a bit since then haven't I?" as he asked this, the man took a long lingering look at his own hand, as if it were the most amazing thing he had ever seen. "Our first meeting I was too…," he paused unsure how to properly express the emotion. "…Astonished," he decided. "By everything I was experiencing that I might have come off a bit odd. But now that I've had time to acclimate I'm sure you'll find me much more pleasant."

Seeing Robin's confusion, the man shook his head in disappointment. After everything he had heard about the boy wonder in his time amongst the people of Jump City, he was sure Robin would have been able to figure it out by know. With a sigh, the man raised his hand into an upturned claw like form just in front of his chest and brought forth a small black orb no bigger than the head of a pin. "Do you recognize me now, child?" he smiled.

Despite the miniscule size of the orb, to the rest of the Teen Titans, it might as well have been the sun. It floated and danced around the man's hand in a mocking display of what had been one their worst battles to date.

Swallowing back the rage that infused his very being, Robin calmly realized his vise like grip on the railing and let his hands fall to his side. Glaring impossibly through his mask, Robin's eyes pierced through the being that he held responsible for the beginning of the Titan's misfortune. "Lilly," he spoke his voice echoing through the empty streets.

Clapping his hands, the notorious villain let out a hearty laugh that was returned by no one. "Yes, yes Lilly! That is what I told you call me then, wasn't it? That young girl really wasn't fit for harnessing my abilities though, poor thing. This one is much stronger I can assure you," he spoke gesturing to his new body. "Though I don't think that's a fitting name for this strapping young body, do you?" he asked.

Pulling out the wallet of the body he had possessed, Lilly made a dramatic show of pulling out its license and reading the name out loud. "I think… Nathan, sounds much more appropriate don't you? "Chuckling, the man threw the wallet away on the side of the road."

Grim-faced, Cyborg stepped forward, arming his sonic cannon. "Man, why don't you stop hiding behind stolen names and tell us who you really are," pointing his weapon straight at his face, Cyborg glared at how haphazardly the villain took a person's name, like it was nothing but a string of letters.

Staring at the tin man, the body-snatching villain seemed to actually give that suggestion a thought. "I told you before that I don't remember what my original name was or, for that matter, if I even had one. But perhaps you're right. A new life begets a new name," he declared smiling proudly. "My name will be… Void." Speaking his new permanent name, Void dropped all visages of cheer. Speaking his name, a sheen of emotion ghosted over his eyes. "I will keep this name as a reminder, a reminder of what I have lived, and what I will never return to."

Flicking his saddened eyes back to Robin, Void examined him frowning. "You've asked me why I've come to you," Void reminded him. "I've come to you because you have something I want, and I wish for you to give it to me. I will apologize for the lives I cost, and I will even apologize for what I did to you, so will you give me what I ask for?" he asked pleadingly.

Robin was shocked by the turn of events; he was ready to battle Lil-… Void until the very end. But now that he is faced with this… it's slightly jarring. "What do you want from us?" Robin asked. He held no intention of any type of negotiation, but instead found this as a good opportunity to learn what Void could be planning.

Coolly, Void said nothing as he lifted his finger to point directly at Terra's shocked face. "Give me Terra. Give me my little pebble," he demanded, glaring murderously at any who would deny him his request.

At the sound of Void's request, Beast Boy was the first to react. "If you want Terra you're going to have to get your creepy body-swapping butt up here and try to take her!" Beast Boy proclaimed throwing himself between his girlfriend and Void.

Prepared to give his own exclamation of refusal, Robin became aware that Starfire seemed determined to gain his attention. Feeling the pull on his cape, Robin turned only his head to see the very worried expression of his girlfriend Starfire. "Starfire what is it," he whispered in agitation at the distraction.

Gazing at her boyfriend with pleading eyes, Starfire begged Robin heed her words. "Please Robin, I have information you mu-,"

Cutting the young Tamaranian's warning off, Void's eyes glared hatefully through Beast Boy. "You will not stop me from my goal. When you last fought me I was but a newborn exploring the world around me looking for a toy to play with. If you challenge me now I will not be so easily challenged." Emphasizing their leader's words, the two companions broke their idle postures, adopting a stance ready for any attack that could come their way.

Returning his eyes back to the leader of the Titans, Void asked his question one last time. "I will ask you once more. Will you give me what I have come for?"

Slipping his nimble fingers into the many notches of his utility belt, Robin answered Void's question by pulling free a few of the myriad of weapons he carried regularly. "I don't know what you could possibly want with her, but Terra is a Teen Titan, and that means no matter what we will never allow you to get your hands on her." Throwing a handful of explosive disks, Robin had officially begun the battle.

Looking truly saddened by the description made, Void closed his eyes shaking his head in disappointment. Signaling to his companions, they both understood their orders and jumped away in opposite directions. Bringing the pin-sized orb back to his hand, a single needle thin tendril raced out as fast as ever piercing the four explosive disks Robin had thrown in a perfect line. "You will regret this decision," Void promised.

Compromised, the four disks simultaneously exploded, creating a cloud that split the two team's views of each other completely. Retracting his needle, Void took his opportunity to feed more power into his orb allowing it to grow to the size of an apple.

Launching a spear though the cloud, Void just narrowly missed as a fairly large green gorilla came roaring through the cloud cover with fists raised high and ready to smash anything under them.

Jumping backwards, Void dodged becoming a gooey puddle at the bottom of a crater, but failed to protect himself from the mechanical man hidden on the gorilla's back. Jumping from Beast Boy's hairy back, Cyborg was able to use the surprise attack to land a well-placed hit under his chin and send Void flying. "BOO-!" Cutting his battle cry short, Cyborg's victory was short lived as Void's female companion came running to protect her leader.

"YAAAHHHHH!" she cried, jumping impossibly high. Speeding towards the metal man, the girl's legs curled poised to attack. Ducking just in time, Cyborg dodged as the girl was surprisingly fast to recover and came at him with a hail fire of lighting fast punches.

Dodging them as fast as they came, he was forced to keep his distance as he could feel the air coming off of her fists as they flew past his head. Cyborg panicked as the cold brick of building became firmly pressed against his back. Preparing his face for a fist, Cyborgs eye widened as the girl's flailing fists appeared to be encased in a sheen of black magic.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Speaking her magic words, Raven sent the scantily clad woman flying and into the edge of a building. Picking up a stray car, Raven followed her attack relentlessly as she too sent it flying towards the girl.

Slow to move at blow she had just received, the girl was helpless as three tons of metal and gadgetry were about to rain on top of her. Doing her best to pick herself up in time to escape, the young woman gasped as the car was pinned to wall by a long black tendril. Using this as her opportunity to escape, the girl ran, the car crashing down seconds after her escape.

Following the tendril back to Void, she could see him back on his feet looking on her with disapproval. Gritting her teeth in embarrassment, the girl's eyes searched for where her other companion was. "Hey fat ass! Get the hell out here and help me!" she ordered. Hearing the woman's voice for the first time, the Titans could practically hear the insanity in it. Seeing no response the girl cursed. "Do you want to go back?" she threatened a crazy look in her eye.

Stepping out from his hiding place the overweight man looked scared as ever. "No," he whispered, hidden under his hoody.

Smiling maniacally, the girl looked positively institutionalized and stared up at where Raven was flying. "Then get your jelly rolls out here and kick some ass!" she exclaimed before running top speed in Raven's direction.

She could see that Raven seemed preoccupied preparing to charge Void, and took her chance without thought. With no regard for her own body the girl jumped off the wall of a building to tackle the flying woman to the ground.

Cyborg could see what the girl's plan was and aimed his sonic cannon accordingly. Before he was able fire, Cyborg could see the large mass of the second companion hurtling towards him like miniature train. The asphalt below cracked and cratered with each thundering step the obese man seemed to take.

Caught between saving himself and saving his friend, Cyborg was helpless until the familiar sound of Robin's explosive disk whistled through the air. Exploding just inches in front of the charging man the ground below him was suddenly changed to a slick sheet of ice. Unable to keep his balance, the man crashed to the ground groaning in pain.

Falling from where he had been perched, Robin was quick to issue orders. "Cyborg, Now!"

Needing no further instruction, Cyborg was more than happy to release his built up energy and fire the crazed girl out of the air. Shocked, Raven turned around to see what had almost got her and nodded to Cyborg in thanks.

Glad too that his plan was working, Robin issued out his next orders. "Raven, Cyborg, keep that girl preoccupied! Terra, and Beast Boy, I need you stay on the big one! Starfire and I will take Void!"

Hearing her leader's orders from above, Terra had been circling the battlefield from the sky waiting for an opportunity to attack Void. She had about five days of medical rest to pay back and she couldn't be more eager. But even more so, something about him didn't sit right. The way he seemed to know her… it was unsettling. Not to mention that totally creepy name he kept calling her! Terra wasn't sure what was worse, the name, or the way it rang in her head whenever she heard it. And now to top it all off he came for her personally. It… it was too much to simply dismiss. If she could just get a few minutes alone! _But that's not going to happen if I'm all the way over there_, Terra thought cursing.

Closing her eyes, Terra realized what she was going to have to do. Flashing Robin an apologetic smile, Terra summoned her powers jetting the slab of land she controlled directly into Void's direction.

Watching Terra blatantly ignore his order, Robin watched in disbelief as Beast Boy shot off to follow and no doubt protect her. Terra! Beast Bo-," he shouted after them. Unfortunately in the time he had been focused on an AWOL Terra, the large man he had taken out with his ice grenade had returned to his feet and tackled Robin with enough force to fracture a metal beam.

Gasping, Starfire was quick to assist her boyfriend, star bolts soon raining from the sky. This left Terra, and in turn Beast Boy, completely free to go challenge Void.

Dodging the combined attacks of Cyborg and Raven, the unknown girl couldn't help but laugh at the display offered to her. "Wow, you guys really run a tight ship," she taunted nearly being blasted by a sonic cannon in the process.

The only words she received in response were the magic laced chant Raven used to snare her in a web of black energy. Charging in, Cyborg took this opportunity to land a good enough punch to knock her out and allow them to go assist Terra and Beast Boy.

Utilizing her unnatural strength, the girl broke free of Raven's enchanted trap and was quick enough to grab Cyborg's fist and throw him over her shoulder using his own momentum.

Landing flat on his back, Cyborg let out a hiss of pain. Scrambling back onto his feet, he groaned as the girl once again charged him. No time to dodge, Cyborg blocked with his hands, confident in his strength to handle anything that the girl could put out.

As the blow came, nothing what Cyborg expected happened. Instead of a super powered fist crashing against his palm, a completely human fist traveling unbelievably fast… completely shattered against his metal structure. The resulting crunch echoed for what seemed like miles.

Pulling her broken and disfigured hand back, the girl stared at in disbelief. All of the fingers in her right hand were ether broken or completely bent in opposing directions. Looking at it closely, Cyborg was even able to see points where bone had peeked through the skin. It was enough to even halt Raven in her next attack.

In a display that Cyborg knew would haunt him till the day he died, after the girl finished staring at her ruined hand she began to giggle literally holding her sides as she laughed herself silly.

Creeped out beyond words, Cyborg decided to try and help her before she hurt herself any further. "If you stop now I might be able to save your hand from any permanent damage," Cyborg offered the giggling girl. It was a bluff, there was no medicine alive that could even hope to repair the damage she had inflicted on herself, but better some damage than completely destroying herself.

Whipping away a tear with her good hand, the hysterical girl calmed herself enough to offer a proper response. "Are you stupid?" she asked shaking her head incredulously. Stalking her way over to him, the injured girl walked as if on a catwalk, swaying her hips enticingly as she drew attention to all the wrong places. Seductively trailing her deformed hand between the valley of her breasts, she smiled lustfully as her eccentric outfit seemed to only enhance her attributes.

Reaching Cyborg, the woman smirked as she drew a hand behind Cyborgs stunned skull, and pulled it down the flesh of her exposed neck. "Get a good look," she whispered into what she assumed would be his ear.

Too shocked to really move, Cyborg stood silent as he was wrapped in the woman's seductive trance and forced to stare at what the woman had been speaking of. "Oh man," Cyborg whispered in disbelief.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Forming a manacle of black energy, Raven was quick to aid her friend as she captured the young girl and flung her away aimlessly into open air. Unperturbed, the girl was able too flawlessly righted herself in thin air and landed gracefully on her feet.

Access to a more open view, Cyborg took this opportunity to observe the rest of the young woman's body that, due to his compromising position, he had been unable to see before.

Free to openly stare without the adrenalin of battle clouding his senses, Cyborg could see how almost every inch of the young woman's body had been was covered in ruptured blood vessels and torn muscle tissue. Small black circles of blood could be seen pooling beneath the skin appearing as gruesome bruises that only seemed to be increasing in size. Seeing this it was clear to Cyborg that throughout the entire duration of the battle, this girl had been… "Destroying your body from the inside out," he spoke with a cringe

Wincing, the girl couldn't help but chuckle at his words. "I'd give you a round of applause for finally noticing but," she gave a sarcastic snort as she motioned to her broken hand. As the girl began to walk Cyborg could see the strain she must be experiencing as even the slightest step seemed to cause the woman incredible pain.

"How could you do this to yourself?" Cyborg questioned, appalled. "How could anyone treat their own body this way?"

At the sound of Cyborg's question, the woman's insane smile dimmed. Looking off into the sky, the woman seemed to be lost in her own world; miles away from where she stood. "Am I still beautiful?" she whispered, looking more human than ever before.

Walking over to window of a store filled with fashionable dresses and clothes, the woman touched her reflection, tracing the blood splotches that had begun to actually spill blood through the pores of her skin. "So even this body has begun to rot." Smashing her reflection with her still intact hand, the woman sneered as her attention returned to her two foes.

Dropping all pretense of worry, Cyborg felt his features turned dark as the woman's words reached his ears. "I should have known better." Shaking his head, Cyborg aimed his cannon and readied it for fire. "You're just another one of those body stealing freaks."

Chuckling, the woman continued to strut, even though it know looked more like a limp, and paid Cyborg's weapon no mind. "Do you want to know the best part of it all?" she asked giggling like she knew a juicy secret. "No matter how beautiful this body was, I know that the next one will be even more gorgeous!" she sneered in excitement.

Taping a crooked finger against the side of her face, the woman adopted a thoughtful expression as if thinking through a difficult math problem. "I think after this I'll look for something… red headed!" she spoke enthusiastically. "I just love the way their hair shines in the sun."

"People aren't just some kind of suit you can put on because you like the way they look!" Cyborg exclaimed firing his sonic cannon. Laughing carelessly, the woman had enough energy to dodge before launching herself back into close quarters with Cyborg and continue her barrage of punches that at this point would do more damage to her than to him.

"But they are!" the woman cheered, throwing another punch past his cybernetic head. "No matter how beautiful one body is, there is always, always a sexier, hotter one just around the corner!" emphasizing her words, the woman gave a large huff as she threw her whole body into a last attack.

Easily dodging the woman's sluggish attack, Cyborg watched as she fell down to all fours, no longer able to push her breaking body. Struggling to her feet, the woman continued to smile manically no matter how much pain forced upon herself.

"I'm asking you to stop," Cyborg begged as the woman continued to shuffle her feet in his direction. Even Raven, hovering above, could see the woman had nothing left to give. "You've been using strength and speed normal humans aren't supposed to be able to handle. You don't have powers and you're as vulnerable as any other human. Your hand is proof! You broke the mental limit every person has in their brain that protects the body from disintegrating under its own strain. And now that body is falling apart," Cyborg reviled his discovery. At best it was a theory, but it was the only explanation he could think of. Taking a step back, his words pleaded with the woman to stop. The battle was already over. "If not for yourself than for the poor woman whose body you stole. If you keep this up… you'll both die."

At the word 'die' the hobbling woman came to a stop. Picking up her head, she gazed at Cyborg with eyes that screamed untold horrors. "Die? But I am already dead… we all are." Continuing her shambling march, the woman stared at Cyborg, her crazed eyes unmoving. "He was the one who freed me!" she exclaimed as though it were some kind of cult. "He… he is that one that will free everyone."

Reaching Cyborg, the woman stopped as she, for the first time since they had begun the battle, looked sane. "Before him, I was… ugly. But now I can be beautiful. I can finally be free to look how ever I want!" standing on her tip toes the woman once again drew Cyborg in to whisper into his ear. "I can live again."

Succumbing to fatigue, the woman's knees gave out allowing her to plummet straight into Cyborgs waiting arms. As he gazed down at her distorted, unconscious face, he couldn't help but feel a great amount of pity for her. Her limbs were little more than bones wrapped in useless tissue at this point. The fact that she was able to even hold on to this point at all was… a miracle. For a moment, he was truly unsure who he pitied more.

Landing gently next to her friend, Raven joined him in his moment of silence as yet another innocent life was taken. These battles needed to end fast. From the words the woman had spoken before she slipped unconscious worried Raven greatly. "What do you think she meant, 'he will free everyone'?" she asked solemnly.

Turning to look at his friend, Cyborg's eyes reflected just what she had feared. If what the woman was saying was true… things were only going to get worse.

xXx

"Give up," Robin ordered pointing his bow staff in a threatening manner. Pinned down in an alley between two buildings, the hooded overweight man stood shaking as all routs of escape were cut off.

Faced with two opponents instead of just fighting Robin, the hooded figure saw fit that the only option open to him was to run. But as Starfire covered the sky and Robin trailing him in far better physical condition, the chase was very short lived.

In a move of desperation the hooded figure began to pound relentlessly against the brick wall that stood between him and freedom. Seeing cracks beginning to form, Robin needed to act fast. "Starfire!"

Following her leaders command, Starfire blasted a volley of star bolts in the other side of the brick wall causing it to explode and send the hooded figure directly to Robin's feet. Robin placed the tip of his staff directly on the villain's collarbone. "Yield," Robin ordered, adding pressure to his staff.

Feeling his opponent quake under his staff, Robin prepared himself for the eventual struggle. As his opponent's quaking continued, Robin became confused as no attack came.

Walking over, Starfire cautiously approached the man quivering man happy for the chance to finally be over. "Robin we must assist Terra and Beast Boy, they are no match for fighting Void alone," Starfire warned.

Looking up, Robin neglected to notice the reaction the man had as Starfire's voice filled the alleyway. "We need to secure this one first and then we can leave. I can't believe Terra disobeyed a direct order! What is going on here?" he asked, truly confused.

Stepping forward, Starfire's eyes turned sad. "Robin there is something I must tell you. Terra has-."

Faster than either Robin or Starfire could react, the hooded man slapped Robin staff away and scrambled as he flung himself at Starfire. Frozen in surprise, Starfire stood shocked as instead of being attacked, she was being hugged. "The masked man's being mean again!" he wailed; hold onto her for dear life.

Gasping in realization, Starfire raised her hand to bring the hood from the man's head. Even though the face was completely different, framed by a mess of inky black hair, the childish, frightened expression on it was unmistakable. "Max?" she whispered in disbelief.

Nodding his head, he reinforced his hug burying his blubbery face back into his savior's neck. "Don't let him hurt me no more," he begged.

Stroking her hand through his disheveled mop of hair, Starfire's gaze turned to Robin mirroring his shock. "What… how have you returned?" she asked searching for answers.

Pulling his face from her shoulder, Max dropped his head as if shamed by the question. "Mister told us he needed someone to keep you distracted so he could talk with the blond lady," Max informed.

Turning sad, Starfire gazed down at Max, her eyes pooling with emotion. "Max… the last you were with us you became ill, and… and died. I stayed with you until you left us. It should not be possible for you to return to us as you have."

As his bottom lip began to quiver, Max turned his eyes to Starfire gazing upon her as if she was an angel straight from heaven. Max remembered what Starfire was referring to in vivid memory. The way she had sung to him as he had been slipping away would remain in his preadolescent brain forever. "I… I had to go back to the white place for a bit," Max admitted snuggling into Starfire for comfort.

"And that's when Void approached you? After you had returned to this white place?" Robin asked, perplexed at how any of this made sense.

Glaring out the side of his eyes, Max seemed to keep up his sour attitude toward Robin no matter what situation. "No!" he demanded. "I got out all on my own." Peering back up at Starfire, Max smiled at her proud of this feat. "The hole was still there so I just slipped out," giggled happily.

Stepping forward, Robin regarded Max coolly, staring at him sternly without a trace of leniency. "How is Terra involved with any of this? How is she involved?" Robin's voice showed no room for childishness. It was cold and unforgiving it and it demanded answers.

Chilled by the emotion in his voice, Max turned his head to Starfire seeking refuge once again. In his eyes, she was the kindest, most gentle person he had ever met. Seeing her nod her head, Max's eyes drooped in understanding. If she wanted him to answer, he would do anything he could to answer her. If only to see her smile.

"He said he just wanted tah talk to her. And see if she would come with us," he whispered hoping he was doing the right thing.

Pulling him closer to her bosom, Starfire did her best to reassure Max that he was safe and to encourage him to continue. "Why friend Terra?" she whispered gently. "Why did he wish to speak with her?"

As Max turned to his mother figure, his face suddenly erupted into a visage of unbridled joy. Smiling so large his chubby cheeks seemed ready to burst. Max turned his head so his eyes could look at both Robin and Starfire. "Because… she's gonna help mister free everyone from white place! Mister told us, told everyone… she is the key that set us all free."

"Free from what? Who else has the power to take over bodies? How many of you are there?" Robin demanded in rapid fire questioning. Being met with a glare, Robin's eyes turned sad. "Please Max, help us."

Sighing in understanding, Max scrunched his eyebrows together as he realized that a lot of those question he had no answer for. "Sorry…," he whispered guiltily.

Patting Max's head to alleviate him, Starfire found her mind swimming with the information Max had just bequeathed to them, especially the news concerning Terra. Could her friend really have betrayed them once more? It made her heart ached at the very thought.

If she told Robin of her information now it would only add to the stress of the situation. Burying her fears deep inside, Starfire decided to bide her time and revile her news for another time. Right now, Terra was still her friend, and she acquired assistance. "Robin, we must assist the others against Void," she reminded him.

Glaring directionless, Robin knew she was right. "Stay here," Robin ordered pointing at Max. Receiving a rather moist raspberry in response, Robin merely turned his back as stalked his way back out of the alley.

Not to be left behind, Starfire quickly rend herself from Max's puffy fingers, and did her best to console the man-child before Robin left without her. Calming him enough to fly away, Starfire couldn't help but look back at him smiling at her with what could only be described as the innocence of a child.

As happy as she was to see him safe and alive, the fact that he was still harboring himself in another human's body was impossible to look past. In her heart, she truly hoped for a solution that would end with everyone happy.

Dashing off into the air, Starfire felt the tears in her eyes spill over her cheeks and plummet to the earth. She could feel it, a great amount of pain and struggle was ahead of them, and the closer it became, the more that hope looked to be just a fantasy.

xXx

"Beast Boy, get out of here!" Terra demanded levitating a bolder to protect herself from a blast escaping out of Void's orb. Relentlessly, the blasts hammered her shield, causing cracks to spider web all over it.

Standing confidently as ever, Void's feet had remained unmoved throughout the entirety of his battle. Smirking confidently, the lone man now had three softball sized orbs rotating around his form with only a slight nose bleed to show for it. As the orbs circled his being, they lashed out with their own perfectly timed attacks in a ballet of destruction.

Across the battlefield, Beast Boy had his own issues to deal with as the ground continued to erupt with black tendrils no matter what direction he ran. "Are you crazy?!" Beast Boy exclaimed. Morphing into a small barn mouse, Beast Boy used his nimble, smaller body to scamper around the ridged spear after it erupted from the ground.

Swearing, Terra yelped as a rather large blast shattered her makeshift shield. Gazing upward, Terra's eyes narrowed as she could now see Void smiling amusedly across to her. Seeing that smirk on his lips filled Terra with a kind of anger she didn't know existed, but no matter how much she wanted to slug him, she couldn't take more than three steps without being assaulted by some kind of attack that seemed to appear out of thin air.

"Don't tell me you're tired already!" Void teased as he watched his two opponents struggle.

Morphing back into his human form, Beast Boy glared at Void, his eyes burning with fury. "Just wait until I punch that smirk right off your face," he yelled, earning yet another spasm of attacks thrown his way.

Charging Void in hopes of landing a strike, Terra prayed that Beast Boy would follow her wishes and abandon her. If he weren't here, she might have a chance of calming Void enough to actually find information. But with him standing right next to her, it was way too risky that he might overhear something. If she wanted to get to him in private, she was going to have to find another way.

Altering her hands in a red glow, Terra raised her now stone fists in an attack of desperation. Amazed that she had managed to run past his circle of orbs, Terra soon found her hope quickly dashed as an iron grip soon clasped around her neck.

Terra struggled helplessly as Void's grip seemed to be unyielding. Far off she could hear Beast Boy charging from the side.

"Let her go!" Beast Boy roared. Morphing from cheetah to cobra, and then from cobra to t-rex, Beast Boy dashed, dodged and smashed his way through every attack that blocked his path.

Looking annoyed for the first time since the battle had begun, Void made a motion with his free hand that signaled one of his orbs to fly at Beast Boy's direction.

Letting out a mighty roar in his dinosaur form, Beast Boy met this attack head on, literally smashing his diamond hard head into the spherical attack. Clashing with the force of two freight trains, Beast Boy amazed both Void and Terra as the orb was the first to yield ground.

Glaring angrily, Void made yet another motion with his hand catching Beast Boy off guard as the orb he was struggling against exploded into a fray of razor sharp shards that sent the green tyrannosaurus flying through the air.

Horrified, Terra watched helplessly her boyfriend, and world, crashed to the earth in a cloud of dust. "Beast Boy," she let out a struggling wheeze.

Watching the dust settle, Terra whimpered as Beast Boy's unconscious, human form was revealed. Strewn haphazardly on the cold, hard cement, Beast Boy's body resembled that of a misused rag doll; limp and crumpled into very uncomfortable angles. All throughout his body lay bleeding gashes that leaked his red life essence at an alarming rate. Waiting what seemed to be a millennium, Terra felt her eyes well up with tears as she realized he wasn't getting back up.

Lightening his grip, Void sighed at the sight of Terra's tears. "Oh, little pebble. You have no need to cry. Your… friend is still among the living," Void spoke in a creepily comforting voice. Wiping a stray tear from Terra's cheek, he looked at her, his eyes warm and gentle.

Tearing free from his death grip, Terra stumbled backwards coughing and hacking as her airway was free from obstruction. "Beast Boy," she choked out gasping for breath.

As Void's mood seemed to sour, he frowned at the mention of Beast Boy's name and was becoming annoyed at how insisting Terra was about calling out to him. "I told you the boy will live," he snapped forcing her attention back to him. Seeing her brilliant blue eyes return to his, Void's smile once again returned. "Now then," he murmured enticingly. "I've been waiting quite some time for this. Won't you have a seat?" he offered.

And just like that the two orbs that he had remaining stretched and bubbled until in their place stood two matching elegant chairs hovering adjacent just over the broken and carved ground below them. Immediately, Void took his place on one of them and motioned for Terra to do the same.

Confused, Terra stood blindsided by the villains offer. She had absolutely no clue how to keep up with him. Just a few seconds ago he had been holding her by the neck, and now he wanted to talk?_ This… is what I wanted I guess…_she finally decided.

Pulling out her T-Com, Terra gave Void a wary glance before realizing he was making no move to stop her. Pressing the positioner button, Terra sighed in a mixture of worry and relief as the dots on the screen showed that the Teen Titans, minus Beast Boy, were all preoccupied with their own battles much too far away. Good or bad, she was on her own.

"Do not worry for your friends little pebble. My followers were given explicit instructions to distract them away from us. They will not disturb us." He remarked sounding more threatening than he intended.

Casting one last glace at Beast Boy's ragged form, Terra stepped forward warily running her fingers over the texture of the chair. Expecting it to immediately attack her, Terra jumped in fright as Void's voice surprised her.

"It's not going to bite," he promised with a chuckle. Showing her, Void once again began to work his orb like a puppeteer manipulating its form through intricate hand motions that confused Terra to no end. He hoped this would work to distract her cautious mind.

Terra watched mystified at the chair she had once regarded so cautiously, transformed into what seemed to resemble a crackling fire. The flames danced in a heatless display that looked so real, Terra was afraid of being burned. As the orb retained its black color, it was truly and amazing sight to behold.

And as soon at the pitch black flames appeared, they disappeared, and in their place now stood a humorist clown. It entertained Terra by appearing to balance itself on one large ball while juggling multiple smaller balls. Terra stared at this feat, enraptured by as it circled her making her wonder just how it was possible.

And then all too soon that too disappeared. Instead Terra now faced a beautiful ballerina. Staring closely, she could actually see the outline its eyeball right down to its long luscious eye lashes. The detail astounded her as it began to dance for her elegantly twirling and spinning, leaping to impossible heights that no real dancer could ever hope to match and landing elegantly on her dainty foot. "How are you doing this," Terra whispered in awe.

Manipulating the dancing obsidian woman, the orb once again returned to the form of a chair. Void watched with great satisfaction as Terra showed no hesitation in sitting in it this time. "You would be amazed what power the mind holds once you unlock its secrets," he commented offering her a furtive smile. Seeing her begin to squirm under his gaze, Void continued to stare unabashed.

To Terra the way he was staring at her sent chills up her spin, the intensity of it was unnerving. Just what did this… thing want from her? As worried as Terra was for Beast boy's health, she was slightly happy that he had been subdue in a seemingly non-life threatening way. Now she and Void could talk freely… though she was beginning to wonder if that was a good thing.

Leaning forward in his chair, Void's eyes warmed to the point of honey as emotion seemed to just poor off of his being. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you again," he whispered.

Licking her dry and cracked lips, Terra's eyes peaked at him from beneath her golden locks of hair. "Do… do we know each other?" she questioned nervously. Terra's breath caught in her through at his expression.

This question only seemed to warm Void's expression even further. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me. I'd like to see the soul that wishes to remember that prison."

Sitting up straighter, Terra's eyes widened in excitement. "So you really are from the white place!" she exclaimed excitedly. Peering closely, she could just bearably recognize a pale light shimmering under the surface of Void's face, but try as she might, she could go no further.

Chuckling, Void raised an eyebrow at her outburst. "White place?" he questioned. "Is that what you call it?"

Blushing slightly, Terra's eyes became inquisitive. "Well… what is it called then?" she asked.

As his eyes drifted away from her face, Void's demeanor chilled considerably. "I don't know," he admitted sadly. "Even I was not that old." Shifting his attention back to Terra he could see the concern in her eyes. The concern that could only come from someone who truly knows your pain. "Tell me, Terra. What do you remember of your time in the 'white place'?" Void questioned smiling once again. "It will help you find the answers you are seeking," he reassured.

Staring at him wide eyed, Terra had no memories of ever mentioning her quest for answers. This made Terra think, _can he read my mind?_ Exposed, Terra relented to his suggestion coaxed by the information she could learn.

Terra wanted nothing more than to push those memories back as far away from her as they could go, but if it would get her closer to finding out what was happening to her, she would allow it to slip into her conscious mind once more. "It… it was empty, unbearably so. No matter what direction I turned it was all the same, an endless sea of nothing. I must have walked a thousand miles when I first arrived." Terra stopped her words as she could feel herself returning to those days; the memories becoming more vivid by the second.

Seeing her struggle, Void nodded his head in encouragement. "You're doing fine." She was remembering. She was embracing what she had run from for so long and in result, she was finally beginning to grow.

Shook from her memories by Voids voice, Terra took a deep breath before continuing. "That's when I realized I was trapped there. I thought it was hell. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't smell. I couldn't even scream. I… I started to go crazy!" Terra exclaimed. Reminiscing of the days gone past, Terra visibly cringed as she remembered the insanity complete isolation had forced her into.

Void watched this outburst with cold calculation. "Continue," he whispered.

"I… I started to hear a voice… Beast Boy's voice," she admitted, flushing scarlet. "We would talk and talk. I would stare up into the empty space waited for… days at a time for even the slightest whisper. He became everything to me. He still is." Turning her head to stare at his unconscious body, Terra was once again reminded of her love for him.

Searching her head for the next part of her journey, she found herself lost as to what had happened to her next. Looking up at Void, she frowned realizing that she had learned nothing.

Waiting for her to continue, Void realized she had nothing left to say. "Do you remember how you returned to life?" he questioned urging her to collect her scattered memories.

Scrunching up her eyebrows, Terra tried to focus on how she came to be alive again, but could come up with no answer. Fishing through her aching brain, she vaguely remembered something about a voice. "There… was a second voice," forced out wincing at the pain pounding behind her eyeballs.

It had been a voice separate from Beast Boy's. It that had whispered to her the instructions that led to her escape. She hadn't believed it at the time. But regardless she followed its instructions and it had led to her escape… how could she have forgotten such a thing? Shaking her head, Terra sighed as her headache dissipated into nothing.

"The second voice, it told me how I could escape," she explained. Watching him, Terra observed his calculating eyes as they seemed to judge her story. It made her nervous.

Tapping a finger against the arm of his chair, Void regarded Terra deep in thought. "I see," he sighed with a small smile. "And let me ask you; are you… grateful to this voice that freed you?"

Thinking about it, Terra found herself nodding her head immediately. "Of course I am," she spoke demurely. "If it wasn't for the voice I would still probably be…" Terra shuddered unable to complete the thought.

Leaning forward, Void seemed pleased by her answer. "And if you ever met the person behind the voice, what would you say to him?" he inquired.

Annoyed by the derailment of their intended conversation topic, Terra glared at the smiling man as she was beginning to think that the whole ordeal was a waste of her time.

"I would thank him," she declared. "I would thank him until my voice stopped working." Looking down into her lap, Terra shielded her eyes behind her yellow hair. "And it still wouldn't be enough."

Returning to silence, Void quietly stared at the girl he had come for with silent speculation. Finally after minutes of uncomfortable silence, Void's voice broke through. "You're welcome." It was two words, but oh, what those words had meant.

Lifting up her head, Terra's eyes were wide as planets as she regarded the man in front of her. "You…"she breathlessly started.

Standing from his seat, Void smiled as his identity was finally revealed. "You are correct," he admitted with a sad smile. "I am the one who whispered the path to freedom and released you from your cage."

Shaking, Terra gazed up at him in fear. After a long stretch of silence she couldn't keep her questions quiet. "Why?" she questioned. "Why would did you free me if all you were going to do once I was alive was ruin my life again?!" Terra demanded, now fueled with anger.

First as Lilly and then through Max, Void had almost single handedly destroyed the Teen Titans' reputation in Jump City. Added to the fact that the City already hated her guts, the one place she was able to call home was being torn down by the very people it was meant to protect. And all at the epicenter… was him. Until he had showed up, everything had been just like she had remembered. But he had ruined that, ruined her dream.

Looking truly saddened by her words, Void took his chance and grabbed Terra's hand in his. "I needed you Terra," he explained. "I needed you because you were the only one who could help me bring my plans to fruition." Ignoring Terra's attempts to free her hand, Void continued to hold her appendage begging her to understand his story.

Terra shook her head, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. Nothing made sense, and it was beginning to feel as though her world was crashing down around her. She wanted to run, to hide. But his iron grip on her hand prevented that and she was forced to stand and listen to his explanation.

"The time you spent in that God forsaken place was but a fraction of the time I soiled there. In the time I was trapped I had the time to weep, fall to insanity and recover a thousand times over. …But I didn't Terra! I didn't!" he insisted, at this point pleading with her to understand.

"I utilized the only thing I was allotted and with that tool I knew with enough patience I could escape one day I just knew it! While everything else seemed to be lost to me I strengthened the one thing I had left. My mind. I knew if I could unlock the secrets of the mind… I could be free."

Smiling Void began to pet the back of Terra's hand with his knuckles, an act that unnerved her and yet soothed her at the same time. The way he was talking sounded so familiar, like an echo of herself when she had been trapped.

"Once I had managed to fully unlock my mind's potential… I accomplished the thing I had hopped for my entire existence. I had made contact with another being. I can't remember who it was or even what we had said, but oh the joy I had felt that day Terra… I can't even begin to explain how I had felt.

Nodding her head, Terra felt she had an inkling of what he must have felt. The day she had first heard Beast Boy's voice she too had celebrated joy in a once meaningless existence.

Taking a moment to express his emotions, Void turned his eyes skyward in a moment of silence. Even to this day, that moment would remain with him until his very consciousness disappeared from existence. "It was then I had begun my search. With the knowledge that I could reach between realities with my mind, I scoured the countless minds that existed in that pocket of space determined to find the one I was searching for."

Pausing in his monologue, Void took a moment to once again gaze into Terra's face. Looking upon it lovingly, adorningly, and above all cherishingly. "I was searching for you Terra," he spoke in awe.

Bolting upright from her seat, Terra immediately put as much distance between them as possible. He was getting was too close to her than what was comfortable. "WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO WITH ANY OF THIS?!" Terra demanded becoming frantic. The direction of this conversation was going way off course. These were not the answers she was looking for!

Void's eyes turned sad as Terra's panic began to rise. He would need to finish his tale soon before the rest of the Titans returned from their battles. The fact that his companions had managed even this amount of time was no less than a miracle.

"I needed someone who had died, but could still live," he explained only confusing Terra more. "When I found you, I reached into your mind and saw everything you had experienced in life, your past, your friends, your dreams …and your death. And I saw if I taught you how… you could be brought back to life."

Lifting up her gloved hand, Terra brought forth her red glowing powers and stared at it finally connecting the dots. "You showed me how to me how turn inorganic… into organic. You showed me how to turn my body back to normal." She spoke in accusation.

Nodding his head Void did nothing to refute it. "I learned from your memories how your powers worked and from that found a way to master them better than you ever could. After that it was simply a matter of earning your trust."

Turning away from Void, Terra whipped away a tear as it feel down her cheek. "You were both voices… there never was a Beast Boy," Terra whispered sadly. Thinking on it, she wasn't sure if this was any better than thinking she had just gone crazy.

"I took the person I knew you cherished most and used his voice to communicate with you… for that I will say sorry," he apologized.

Nodding her head, Terra wore an emotionless mask on her face as she did her best to acclimate to all the new information she was receiving. But one question still lingered. "I get that my case was special, that I was allowed to come back only because of the right circumstances, so how are all these other people, including you, following me out and stealing peoples bodies?" she demanded, looking truly angry.

Sitting back down in his chair, Void smiled brilliantly at the question. To him there was no shame in his doings. "Can't you see Terra? The whole point of freeing you was to destroy laws that held us there. It was supposed to be impossible for anyone to return once they had entered, so once you were freed… we all were. Your absence tore a hole that we all had access too.

Shaking, Terra fell to her knees as the weight of his words finally struck her. It was her fault. She was the one that had brought all the pain the Titans had been experiencing. Everything she had feared was becoming real and there was no way to stop it. Not even Beast Boy could help her now.

The feeling of strong arms embraced Terra as Void kneeled in front of her in a hug that shocked her almost as much as the news. With her face pressed against his chest, Terra stared dead into nothingness.

There it was again. Just like before he was treating her with the utmost care and gentleness. Had she grown to become a favored toy? Was that the reason he had come for her? Or was it because he relished her pain? "What am I to you," she whispered quietly.

Not moving an inch Void continued to hold her. "Before you I never paid more than a second with the other mind I had found. Once I realized they were of no use to me I abandoned them completely. It's actually kind of funny, I spent so much time searching for a way to communicate that once I did, I never used it."

"Until me," Terra commented.

"Until you," he parroted back.

"My conversations with you meant just as much to me as they did to you," he swore holding her tighter. "Before I was even aware of it, you had stolen my heart in a way I hadn't seen in a millennia of life time's seen through countless eyes."

Pulling back, Terra stared up at him with cold hollow eyes. "You tried to kill me," she reminded him bluntly. "You stabbed me through the stomach."

Smiling down at her, Void kissed the ridge of her brow before explaining. "Not kill, but free," he whispered against her forehead. "Once freed, no one but you had an empty and ready body open to possession. We all must take the bodies of others and use them to survive. I knew if I destroyed your current body, you would be forced to find a new one. I only wanted to show you the power you possess," he promised.

Pulling her to her feet, Void smiled at her as happy as she had ever seen him. "Join me, Terra. Stand by my side as I build a new era. A universe without death. A kingdom with you as my queen. …please."

Backing away, Terra kept her eyes hidden beneath the shadows of her hair, leaving her unreadable. Faster than Void could react, Terra's fingers erupted as glowing strands of red steamed up her arms to the sky. Noticing a strange sensation beginning to crawl up his foot, Void's eyes widened as he realized they were becoming consumed by Terra's power, turning him to stone.

"Terra, what are you doing?" he demanded, crushed by her betrayal.

Lifting her head, Terra glared at him, her eyes streaming tears down her cheeks and onto the ground below her. "Stopping you," she declared with eyes as cold as ice.

Stumbling forward, Void tripped himself over as the petrification had already advanced past his ankles. Looking up at her and he kneeled on all fours, Void's expression was that of utter betrayal. "Why?" he asked. "We… we're going to liberate all of them!" he exclaimed.

Keeping her power steady, Terra scowled, her face morphing into one of blind rage. "If you never showed up, everything would have been able to stay the same!" she yelled. "It's your fault. You ruined everything! If I send you back, send all you back then everything can go back to normal!" she shouted, splashing even more tears onto the floor.

Fueled by her anger, Terra's power doubled the speed of the stone's encroachment sending it past his waist. "You would condemn anyone to that prison?!" Void demanded in disbelief. "You who knows its pain?!"

Stopping her powers flow, Terra's arms dropped to her sides lifeless. "If it's for Beast Boy," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "If it means I can stay with Beast Boy, you can go to hell for all I care," she declared eyes as dead as a corpse's.

Igniting her hands once more in her red glow, Terra resumed her petrifying attack, forcing the stone past his shoulders and up his neck. As the last seconds of Void's body remained, Terra stared adamantly into his face refusing to look away. The expression on his face was one that would remain burned in her memory for years to come. The look of betrayal had vanished. Now in its place was cold frozen fury that spoke of a revenge that would last for beyond any lifetime. His eyes bore into hers until the last second. Until finally, Terra's power consumed him completely enclosing his face in stone.

Terra then fell to her knees, her face remaining focused on the statue's expression, unable to look away.

"Terra!" Robin's voice called out.

Turning her head, Terra remained where she kneeled as the faint outline of Robin and Starfire could be seen charging in her direction. Surprised to find no relief at the sight, a numbness had overtaken Terra completely, leaving nothing but a shell.

Kneeling on the cold hard ground, Terra felt as though her head was swimming in a lukewarm soup. Her worst fears had been realized. She had no more excuses. She could no longer delude herself into thinking herself innocent. …Everything was falling apart.

Void was still out there, and now, thanks to Terra, he was as mad as ever. He had an army of countless, worshipping souls, that willing to follow his every command. And the worst part, she had no way of telling her friends without them learning of her part in it all. There was no escaping. No hope. There was… nothing.

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**A/N: wow… so I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! You guys have no idea how long I have been waiting to write this chapter. Anyway leave a review and let me know what you thought.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: hey everyone! I hope you enjoy the chapter. And please read the authors note I left at the bottom. As always this chapter was betaed by Necronom Hezberek Mortix.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.**

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Pain.

it radiating throughout his entire body. From head to toe, all he could feel were the hundreds of slashes that had been afflicted upon him. His breaths came in short gasping huffs, as that was all he could manage now, and even greater waves of agony would come crashing through his frame like the changing tides.

Struggling with all his might, Beast Boy forced a single eye open, grimacing immediately as blood began to fill his vision. Forcing his eye to remain open, the green hero searched what limited field of vision his current condition allowed.

His world was silent. Throughout his brief glimmers of consciousness, he was deaf to all but the sound of his own heartbeat. Its sound pounded and bounced inside his skull to the point it felt as though his eardrums had a pulse. This left his disorientation even worse as his mind continued to drift in and out of sleep.

Unaware of the passage of time, Beast Boy's clouded mind struggled to process the images it managed to acquire. At first glimpse, Beast Boy questioned his sanity as dreams of a dancing ballerina filled his vision. Then, a blink later, his eyes were met with the visage of Terra sitting upon what look to him as an elegant throne blacker than the night sky. And again as Beast Boy succumbed to his pain, he awoke to the sight of Terra, his girlfriend, in the arms of the man from whom he had just been fighting so hard to protect her.

Unsure whether it was even real, Beast Boy dismissed the possibility of hallucination and fought with all his might to stand once more and tear Terra away from the villain. This proved to be futile however as even with his undying willpower, Beast Boy could not even manage to wiggle his finger, let alone stand on his feet.

Left immobile, Beast Boy was left stranded in his own body. Unable to do anything else, Beast Boy watched the red-hued world trying his best to make sense of what was happening. Once more his brain seemed to fall dormant for one second he was watching his girlfriend be held in the arms of another man. The next, he found her standing determinately as her powers swirled around her.

Beast Boys single eye widened at the spectacle before him. Hallucination or not, it was an incredible sight. Not since the final battle against Slade had he seen her exude such power. Light flowed from her fingertips like fire to the point that even her hair levitated under her power.

Watching Terra in fascination, Beast Boy was slow to notice the lightheaded feeling in his mind and the black edges encroaching around his vision. Upon his realization, Beast Boy's eye went wide with fear. The more his vision blackened, the more Beast Boy fought to stay conscious.

As the last remnants of his vision began to whittle away, Beast Boy's panic began to subdue into a foggy melancholy. _Am… am I going to die?_

Feeling his eyelid begin to droop, Beast Boy could feel himself being drawn away. It was an interesting feeling. All his pain began to rise like smoke from a log. His head seemed to detach from his body and fall into the softest pillow imaginable. It was almost enough for him to want to let go and escape the pain, almost. Fortunately for him, the sensation of a thousand hooves crashing against his torso shook him awake.

Letting out a pitiful whimper, Beast Boy was immediately aware of his body's new position as he was now flat on his back. The feeling of another person's hands running up and down his limbs was next thing he found torturing his nerve endings. Each pass of the person's cold hard fingertips was like a vat of acid poured directly into his wounds. It was enough to make Beast Boy cry out for mercy. Whatever was happening to him was truly the work of a masochist.

Left alone to suffer, Beast Boy was allotted only the freedom to cringe and cry out in pain as the phantom hands continued their onslaught on defenseless body. Letting out a particularly loud shout, Beast Boy began to panic as a second pair of hands enveloped his face.

Beast Boy struggled with all his might to escape these extra hands, but alas it was all in vain as no amount of thrashing released him from their grip. Ready to succumb to his fate, Beast Boy was shocked as instead of added pain; he was met with a wave of sedation flowing over his body, relieving him of his pain.

Though not completely erased, Beast Boy's pain had been significantly reduced. Reveling in the relief, Beast Boy cracked his eyes in hopes of viewing his savior. In his throes of pain, whoever it had been had cleared his eye of its blood leaving his view completely clear of his rescuer.

Free from the mind-numbing pain, Beast Boy was finally beginning to wake from his stupor. The longer the seconds drew on the clearer his mind became until finally the face of those heavenly hands became clear.

Gazing skyward, Beast Boy's eyes gleamed dimly still sluggish in recovery. To anyone seeing him, it would appear as though he were still dead to the world, but to him, his vision was perfect. Shining in his eyes surrounded by a halo of light gleamed behind her was the face of Raven.

As she hunched over him, Beast Boy watched as her beautiful features seamed to focus only on him. Her lips moved wordlessly in fray that Beast Boy gazed upon transfixed. He was unable to hear her words but looking at them reminded him of that moment he had been lucky enough to kiss them.

Her hands felt cold against his fevered skin. They gripped his temples firmly but allowed him to enjoy her touch. The soft pads of her fingertips massaged his aching head in a way that made Beast Boy sight in gratitude. Her touch brought a warm glow to appear within his chest.

As Beast Boy lay there, he was unsure whether it was the wooziness from the lack of blood, or maybe the serious head wound, but at that moment all that existed were Raven and himself. He watched her, struck by her beauty. He completely disregarded her disheveled appearance. Even with a blood-smeared costume and features scrunched in concentration, to him, she was glorious.

Gazing up at her, Beast Boy could see a smile, however small, sneaking its way onto her lips. Even through the pain, the sight of that smile was incredible. This realization brought the glow inside to radiate even brighter.

Feeling his eyelids beginning to droop once more, Beast Boy turned sad as he would no longer be able stare at her. Little by little, his lids fell until his world was once more thrown into darkness. It was here in dark warmth of Raven's protection Beast Boy's scrambled brain was free to see Raven as she always had been.

Giving a mental sigh, Beast Boy allowed himself to be taken by sleep, confident Raven would protect him. Just before his mind was lulled to sleep completely, one stray thought would stay with him longer than he could imagine.

_I wish… I felt this way with Terra…_

xXx

"How much further?" Cyborg asked.

Pulling out her T-Com, Raven flipped through the settings until she found the tracking system. "Not much," she answered with a frown.

They traveled speedily, the buildings streaming past the two heroes like cars passing trees. Raven flew overhead, casting a worried glance at the woman Cyborg carried as he ran. The two had set off immediately after she had fallen unconscious, leaving little time to secure a safe area for her to rest. As such, they had been forced to take her along and hope for the best.

Now free from battle, they had hoped to help assist Terra and Beast Boy against Void, but their battle had dragged them farther away than they had expected. This made them very frustrated as each second that went by could be another second their friends could be hurt.

Taking a second glance at the screen, Raven halted in midair. "Cyborg, ahead of us!" she announced. Picking up her speed, she shot ahead to face what she had found.

Looking after her, Cyborg looked on, curious at what had captured her attention. Running to keep up with her, he shifted the woman in his arms hopping his movements weren't too jarring.

Jogging at a moderate speed, the two of them reached what Raven had found rather quickly. "Robin!" Cyborg called out, pleased to see his leader unharmed. Raven and Starfire could be seen in the air just above their leader waiting for him to catch up. Running the rest of the way, Cyborg joined the three other Titans.

After he saw his half mechanical friend, Robin's mood changed from happy to upset in a matter of seconds. "What happened?" Robin ordered upon seeing the abused woman. His eyes narrowed angrily as he was allowed time to truly take the damage in.

Starfire gasped in fright at the woman's state, immediately flying to her side.

Shaking his head, Cyborg frowned regretfully. "It was another one of those… things," Cyborg reported with frustration. "It took the body of, whoever this is, and made her fight until her body, literally fell apart." Looking up at Robin Cyborg looked sad. "I tried to keep her from doing too much damage to herself but…" Cyborg stopped and shook his head. "I'll give you the full report later, we gotta hurry to Beast Boy and Terra," he reminded him.

Taking a second glance at the wounded woman, Robin nodded his head sadly. "Have you tried contacting them? I haven't been able to get a reply yet," Robin said. He furled his eye brows worried for his friends.

Shaking his head, Cyborg held up hit T-Com. "Naw man, I was just about to ask you the same thing. Let's hurry up before Void has the chance to do some real damage."

"You're right, let's keep moving," he agreed.

Once more, the Titans found themselves charging to their friends' aid, but now in greater number. It gave them a sense of security to have each other by their sides. Over the years of battle together they had acquired a knowledge of each other that rivaled their knowledge of even themselves. That being said, it only made the absence of their green friend all the more apparent.

They traveled as silently as the wind, not one of them uttering a sound. They focused all their efforts into their speed, both airborne and on foot. Straining their ears, the Teen Titans struggled to stay optimistic as to what the silence of the city could mean.

They would not doubt their friends' abilities. They would believe in their strength and would believe in the appropriate judgment required of Titan. They wouldn't consider their friends being seriously injured. But above all, they would not speak. Not of what they truly feared finding, and not what each of them was unprepared to see.

Cutting through an alleyway, the Teen Titans could see a brilliant red light streaming through the other side of the building. It was a beacon of hope and of new fear as no one could seewhere that light was coming from. Just as the red light began to dim, the Titans burst from the alleyway prepared to fight. Simultaneously, their mouths dropped open at the sight before them.

A dissipating red glow could still be seen wafting off of Terra's hands, fading by the second. Her expression was that of a shattered soul completely broken and void of any rational thought. They all watched her wide-eyed as Terra's lower frame gave way and she crumpled to her knees.

"TERRA!"

The first one to act, Robin was charging his way to his fallen comrade as fast as his feet could carry him. Casting a quick glance around, Robin felt hollow pit form in his stomach as he found no trace of Beast Boy. Focusing on the person he could see, Robin leapt over the mysterious statue and slid to a stop behind Terra.

"Terra, what's happened?!" Robin demanded, gripping her by her shoulders. Terra said nothing as her head lost its support, falling to her chest. As Robin continued his attempt at awakening the girl, his teammates circled the two of them.

"Robin," Raven's whispered voice spoke up. Seeing him ignore her, she repeated herself with more steel. "Robin, look!"

Glaring back at her, Robin felt his retort die in his throat as he took notice of what she was pointing at. Not three feet away kneeled a perfect stone statue of the man that used to be Void, or at least the body he had inhabited.

Faltering only slightly, Robin reached out with hand brushing it over the ruff gravely texture of the statues face. He felt chills run up his spin at the expression it was just… inhuman. Casting a frightened glace at Terra, once more his eyes shot up to his team. They could only mirror his expression of worry as none of them knew what to say.

Shaking off the uncomfortable fact that Terra had actually managed to turn a living person into stone, Robin turned back to Terra more cautiously than ever before. "Terra," he started out calmly. Placing a gloved hand on top of hers, Robin attempted to speak in a soothing tone. "Where is Beast Boy?"

This seemed to garner Terra's attention for as soon as Beast Boy's name passed Robin's lips Terra's body tensed like it had been shocked. Gulping audibly, Terra looked up at Robin for the first time since he had appeared. With the appearance of a lost child, she redirected her eyes from Robin to an area just to the right of them.

Not a second later, Starfire soared up high into the sky, scanning her eyes over the land Terra had subtly motioned towards. Spotting a small crater just over ten yards down the street, Starfire's eyes began to well with tears. "Cyborg! Come!" she shouted flying off to where her green friend lay.

Hearing the panic in Starfire's voice, Cyborg charged after her already fearing what he was going to find. Stopping at the edge of the crater, Cyborg froze.

Hanging over the edge of what looked to be the result of a small explosion, Beast Boy lay in a puddle of his own blood as it pooled bellow him into the center of the crater. His body laid face down hiding the worst of his injuries but his head was forced into an odd angle in his landing positioning his neck to bend backwards against a chuck of asphalt. His arms and legs showcased an array of bleeding injuries ranging from the tips of his finger and toes to the edges of his shoulders and hip.

Next to his mangled green and red body, Starfire stood with a single hand outstretched in aid but too afraid to actually touch him. Hiding her gaping mouth with her other free hand, Starfire looked to Cyborg, begging him to do something, _anything_ to help their friend. Behind him streamed in Robin and Raven as one of them gasped at the sight in front of them. The other stood in cold disbelief refusing to accept what she was seeing.

Cyborg stood frozen only for a second before he forced himself into action. Jumping across the crater, Cyborg flew over to Beast Boy's side. His mind racing, Cyborg struggled to remember his basic first aid. Jumping into it, Cyborg immediately searched to see if there was any chance of saving him at all.

Pressing his ear to Beast Boy's back, Cyborg's eyes widened as he could make out the faint sound of air rushing in and out of his lungs. "He's alive!" he announced to his friends. Putting his ear back to his friend's back Cyborg also took notice of his heartbeat… and how slow it had become. In a panic, Cyborg gripped Beast Boy by his shoulder and thigh and, as gently as he could, attempted to roll him on his back.

Successful moving his friend to a more comfortable position, Cyborg tensed as his action caused Beast Boy to let out an agonized hiss. The expression on his face was nothing less than pure agony as even that slightest motion seemed to have racked his frame with pain.

Cyborg took deep breath before continuing. Reaching down, Cyborg's finger was replaced with a small sharp blade that was used to gently and slowly cut away what remained of Beast Boy's costume. Lying in only his boxers, Beast Boy's wounds were exposed for all to see. As Cyborg looked down over Beast Boy he was relieved to see that, while he in extreme pain, Beast Boy's wounds didn't appear to be life threatening. Blood loss on the other hand…

Cuts and lacerations riddled Beast Boy's chest and limbs. Some ranged from two, to even seven inches long but thankfully none seemed to be too deep. The only injuries that Cyborg truly worried about were the ones on his face. Cyborg wasn't sure what had happened nor how Beast Boy had been hit, but whatever it was had focused a majority of its attack on Beast Boy's head. This explained how so much blood had managed to escape his body so quickly. Taking every injury into stock, Cyborg drew out a medical plan to help Beast Boy.

Looking up, he could still see all of his friends huddled around Beast Boy in fear. "Guys, I need to fix Beast Boy up a little before we can move him the Tower." Seeing he had their attention, he continued. "Starfire, find some water and boil it as hot as you can before bringing it back to me. I need it to clean out his cuts so they won't get infected." Wordlessly, Starfire shot up into the air searching out a store of some type from where she could acquire the water she needed.

Looking over at Robin, Cyborg could see the boy was ready to receive his orders. "Robin, go back to Terra and stay with her. She's still pretty shaken up and I need you to tell me if she starts to have an episode, ok?" he asked rhetorically. Understanding, Robin set off to keep an eye on Terra.

Looking over at Raven, Cyborg's eyes softened at her expression. "Raven, I need you with me. If he starts struggle or freak out, I'm counting on you to hold him to prevent him from injuring himself any further."

Her head snapped away from Beast Boy's mangled form to look at Cyborg as if he was crazy. Afraid, Raven steps faltered as she unconsciously too two steps backward. "B-but I…" her voice stammered, unsure how to convey her fears.

"Other than Robin, you're the only one I can trust to keep a calm head and not panic," he instructed shooting her stern gaze. "Or would you rather be sitting with Terra right now?" he asked with a smirk. He could Raven's anxiety and hoped to calm her down a bit.

Shooting him an annoyed glare, Raven couldn't believe he was joking at a time like this. Her focus was going out of control, and he actually thought she would be able to keep calm enough to hold down a screaming, bloody Beast Boy? Just looking at him was enough to make her control waver.

She couldn't do it. If was anyone but Beast Boy, _anyone _then she might have had a chance. But except for her powers she had little to no prior medical experience and if she lost control she might end up hurting him even more. He affected her too much! She just couldn't do it, she…

"Raven!" Cyborg barked. He had to act fast and he had no time to give Raven to pull herself together.

Casting a horrified glace at Beast Boy's body, Raven bit her lip and clenched her quivering hands, cursing herself. She dashed over to Cyborg's side, landing over Beast Boy's head. "What do you need?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"We need to find something we can tie over his cuts to stop the bleeding," Cyborg informed her.

Without a second thought, Raven activated her powers to envelope her own cloak, levitating it off of her body and into the air. She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes lighting up with power. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" As her hands began to glow with the same glowing black energy as her cloak, she cut her hands through the air, causing her cloak to shred into long strips of cloth. Gathering them with her magic, Raven held them out for Cyborg to take from her hand. "Here."

Wide-eyed, Cyborg took them from her. "Thanks…" he nodded, still surprised by her actions. "But we can't do anything until Starfire-"

His words were cut off as, at that moment, Starfire returned with the water he had requested. "Is this sufficient?" she asked handing him the container.

Taking the heated container, Cyborg smiled at his alien friend. "Yeah this is great Star, thanks." Placing the bandages in the heated water, he turned to see Starfire still standing over him. "Starfire, this might be a little intense so why don't you leave the rest of this up to me and Raven."

Not wanting to abandon her friend, Starfire nodded her head realizing that she could be of no more help at the time.

Turning back to Raven, Cyborg nodded his head signaling it was time for them to start. "Ok, first we need to clean out any dirt or bacteria that managed to get rubbed into the wounds. If he starts fighting, hold him down," he told her.

Nodding her head, Raven braced herself for the first touch of cloth against green and red skin. Watching Cyborg gently rub the cloth against his first cut, Raven's eyes remained glued on Beast Boy's face watching for the slight hint that he would begin to flip out.

Beast Boy winced the second the cloth made contact with his skin but other than that he showed no sign of extreme reaction. Satisfied, Cyborg set out and began to diligently clean his injuries.

Waiting, Raven remained where she was kneeling above Beast Boy's head, ever vigilant and protective. Gazing down at his face scrunched up, Raven hated that he was in pain. The second she had seen him all memories of what had happened disappeared and was replaced by a single thought… _Don't die._

Gripping her knees, Raven fought to keep her hands at her sides as Beast Boy began to groan in pain at each swipe if the cloth on his chest. As the groans turned to whimpers and the whimpers into small yelps, Beast Boy began to animate more and more with each passing second. It wasn't until he let out a full scream that Raven began to feel her will crumbling beneath her.

Scream and screaming, Beast Boy was relentless as Cyborg continued to work meticulously as fast as he could. Each scream was like a bucket of ice water falling over Raven's head. It was physically hurting her to see the person she cared for in so much pain.

"Raven, he's moving around too much! Hold him down!" Cyborg ordered in frustration.

Nodding her head, Raven secured her hands on his collarbone and tried her best to keep his movements to a minimum. The added pressure only seemed to pain him even further. Narrowing her eyes, Raven just wished she had the power to take all of his pain away.

A cold chill spread through Raven's veins as she realized just what she said. _Maybe… I can._

Looking up at Cyborg, Raven could see he was far too preoccupied to see anything she was doing. Removing her hands from Beast Boy's chest, Raven steeled her emotions as she summoned her powers causing her hands emitting a blue glow. She couldn't take his injuries away, that much she knew. If she even attempted to Cyborg would see immediately and her secret would be found out. But that didn't mean she could do her best to shoulder Beast Boy's pain alongside him.

Taking a deep breath, Raven braced herself as she placed her glowing hands on each side of Beast Boy's face. Raven could feel her empathic powers forming a bond between herself and Beast Boy.

It felt like a chain was falling from her mind and pooling into Beast Boy's very skull. The chain locked them together in both mind and spirit. It was a jarring experience for Raven, as she had never attempted to connect with someone in such a way.

In all her experiences with her accursed power, it had happened through brief contact through skin or, when she was really unlucky, just have a person stand too close to her. With Terra all she had done was heal her and made no attempt to connect with her in any type of way. She had healed her of her injuries and had taken them herself instead, that was all.

And while it was true she had delved into Robin's head at one point in time, the mental connection had been shallow and brief. She hadn't dared reach as far as she knew she would need to with Beast Boy.

Gasping, Raven felt the connection solidify as Beast Boy's mind was completely open to her. Immediately Raven was thrown into a wall of pain that crashed through her senses like a tsunami. It was disorienting and confusing but Raven managed to regain her composure through sheer will alone.

Even so, the pain wasn't hers. All she was feeling was the pain Beast Boy felt at that present time. She needed to make it so her body was the one feeling the pain, not Beast Boy's. It was the only thing she could do to help him.

Focusing her magic on her empathic powers, Raven focused through the pain. Her fingers tingled with the familiar presence of magic. Steadily she began to feel pain spread inside her own body. It began of her left cheek, then bit by bit new flowers of pain bloomed all along her body from the tips of her fingers to the ends of her toes.

Cracking open her eye, Raven saw that her efforts were not for nothing as Beast Boy's struggling had calmed considerably. While still letting out a stifled grown he was no longer thrashing about yelling at the top of his lungs. That alone was enough for Raven to accept the next half hour of pain she would need to endure before Cyborg finished his first aid.

Raven winced as she felt Cyborg handle Beast Boy in a particularly rough manner. She could feel it, every flex of the muscles, and every brush from Cyborg's fingertips. She could feel it all! It was like she had actually stepped inside Beast Boy's body. It wasn't until she realized this that she began to notice the emotions bubbling buried underneath.

It started out as simply as finding an itch she had been unaware of. In the back of her mind she could feel something out of place but it wasn't until the itch persisted that she was finally able to acknowledge what that thing was. She had been so focused on the physical aspect of the bond, the _pain, _that she had almost completely missed Beast Boy's soul.

Raven should have known the second the emotion appeared that it was not hers. It was too strong. Her emotions that have been subdued and silenced over years of training and conditions could never manifest so strongly, so pure. For the first time in her life, Raven was free to feel the one emotion that she thought would evade her until her dying breath.

Peace.

Through the throes of pain and torture, Raven was filled with a sense of peace she had never before thought possible. Years of being called a demon and being feared by her own people, her own mother, and then facing the malice of the ignorant masses of humanity that condemned her for being different from them had made the emotion of peace all but unreachable. But now… in these few flittering seconds, she could know what it means to be at peace, to be free.

Her eyes fell to Beast Boy's face as it dawned on her that these emotions belonged to him. And truly, his face did reflect the feelings she was experiencing. Moving before she even realized it, Raven's thumb raised itself from Beast Boy's temple and began to lightly stroke his cheek. This was nice, this moment she was allowed to share with him. If not for the fact that he was grievously injured, and the pain coursing through her very being, it might have even been perfect.

"Beast Boy," Raven whispered staring down at his face. Unsure, Raven could have sworn shed seen his eye twitch at the sound of her voice. "Beast Boy, can you hear me?" she asked desperately. Not sure what she was expecting Raven grimaced a smile as she realized how silly she must look. "Look at you, you probably just killed off the last brain cells you had left." Brushing the dried blood from his green locks, Raven continued in her melancholy tone. "Were you trying to be a hero again? Did you stop for even a second and think about what how everyone would feel if you got hurt before you charged off? How I would feel?" Raven muttered more to herself than anyone else.

Raven forced herself stop as she could feel her own emotions begin to run wild. It forced her to pull back and distance herself, just like always. For once she wanted to be able to express herself how she wanted and damn the consequences! She wanted to be able to take Beast Boy and kiss him without worry if the insurance would cover the damages.

As she looked down at him, Raven's heart started to warm. So warm that it began to radiate throughout her body. It was pleasant, Raven observed. It comforted her, and made her feel more… _happy_. She also took note that this was, again, not her own emotions.

She was begging to become addicted to Beast Boy's emotions. They were just so free, and open, the exact opposite of hers. What could it be that made Beast Boy feel this way, Raven idly wondered.

Attempting to delve even deeper into his mind, Raven found no source that could explain it. In fact, much to Raven's horror, Beast Boy's mind seemed to be dimming, slipping away from her and into darkness.

Panicked, Raven struggled to keep hold of Beast Boy's mind, of the warmth, of the peace. She didn't want to let any of it go and it was all disappearing from her. She threw herself into Beast Boy's mind fighting with every ounce of her control over magic to keep him with her.

Until suddenly, Raven felt something inside both her, and Beast Boy… click. Suddenly, Raven found herself divulged deeper into Beast Boy than she should have ever gone. Suddenly, she was looking through the eyes of Beast Boy.

Though _eye_ seemed to be the better description, as it seemed Beast Boy only held the ability to keep a single eye open, but still.

It was disorienting at first, looking through another person's eyes. But what really threw her was that she was looking at herself! She had absolutely no control over where Beast Boy chose to direct his eyes and at the moment… they were on her.

Looking at herself through Beast Boy's eyes, Raven felt herself actually blush. Even though her face covered in sweat and grimaced in pain, Beast Boy still found a way to look at her as… beautiful. She actually looked beautiful.

As Raven mulled those thoughts over in her head she was amazed as her physical body began to smile. Beast Boy liked her smile. The warmth she had been experiencing seemed to double as Beast Boy gazed upon her happy lips. It seemed as though just that simple gesture had completely enraptured him. It was… comforting to know she wasn't the only one so greatly affected, that she was the one who was doing this and not Terra.

As Raven enjoyed her moment of satisfaction she became more and more aware as the only opening she had to the outside world began to grow dimmer and dimmer.

Beast Boy was slipping away again, and she had no idea what that meant. Had Cyborg failed? Was this the last moment she was ever going to spend with her green skinned crush? Was there anything she could do to help? So many worries and fears assaulted Raven that, in a panic, she continued her previous endeavor and attempted strengthen her hold on Beast Boy's mind.

But alas, the more she struggled the farther Beast Boy seemed to get. Eventually she found herself left with only a speck of warmth and a crack of eyesight left. Worried to the point of fear, Raven's abstract mind couldn't help but notice that even in his last seconds of consciousness, Beast Boys eye's remained faithful on her lips.

_I wish… I felt this way with Terra…_

Raven gasped as the sentence bounced around her and Beast Boy's head in a final thought before complete darkness. Releasing her hold on the mental link, the chain that had previously held them so strongly, crumbled away to nothing, leaving her free and aware of her own self once more.

"Raven!" Cyborg's voice boomed.

Looking up, Raven realized Cyborg seemed to have been calling to for quite some time; if the irritated expression on his face was anything to go by. She shrugged his hands off of her shoulders and shot him an irritated stare. "What?"

Cyborg looked at her like she had gone crazy. "_What?_ What do you mean 'what'? I've been calling out for you for over five minutes," he exclaimed indignantly.

Raven kept her stare cool and indifferent. "…Sorry."

Cyborg opened his mouth as if to yell some more but then shook his head deciding against it. "Whatever! Listen, it got Beast Boy stable and he's sleeping right now. I got to have a few words with Robin so if you could keep your head out of the clouds for a few minutes I need you to stay with Beast Boy and yell if anything happens."

Looking down at Beast Boy, Raven raised an eyebrow. "I think I can manage that."

It was reliving to hear that all that had happened was Beast Boy falling asleep. She had been very worried something serious had happened.

Raven watched Cyborg's back as he crawled out of the crater. It wasn't until he was a safe distance away that she returned her eyes back to Beast Boy, dropping her sarcastic image.

'_I wish I felt this way with Terra'…_Raven's mind was boggled what that could have meant. Was he talking about her? Could he have been talking about her? Raven's mind jumped back to image he had viewed her in and realized that, yes, it was very possible. And also… she might have to try smiling a bit more around Beast Boy if she got the chance.

But then Raven remembered what had happened the last time she had been with Beast Boy. That he had abandoned her utterly humiliating her and throwing her into a rage she hadn't experienced… in quite a while.

If he really felt that way… about her, then why had he abandoned her? Why had he chosen Terra? Why couldn't he have just told her? Why!?

Looking down upon him, Raven's eyes searched for the answers to her questions. Raven's hands found their way to his hair as she began to absent-mindedly pet him. There really only was one answer that would make sense. And it was an answer she was, hopefully, going to have to put up with for a long, long time.

"It's not your fault you're an idiot."

xXx

Robin watched over Terra from a safe distance just as Cyborg had instructed him to do. So far no changes had been made to her condition as she continued to sit on the cold concrete, unresponsive. He had given her his cape, due to the lack of any kind of emergency blanket, and it stayed draped around her shoulders just where he had left it.

Robin's eyes dipped in worry as that was all he was able to do for the girl. Starfire had been a much better caregiver once she had returned. At the moment she was sitting next to Terra talking to her trying to get her to make up. So far, no success.

The woman Cyborg had been carrying lay not five feet from where he stood. Beaten or not, she was still a villain and he was keeping an eye on her.

The sight of Cyborg approaching him, made Robin sigh in relief as they might now begin their trek home. Curious, Robin watched Cyborg motion with his hand to follow him to away from their group into an alleyway just a few feet away.

"How is he?" Robin asked upon arrival. The safety of his team was his number one priority.

Shaking his head, Cyborg unconsciously began to show his weariness. "He'll live man, but he might be out for a few days." Cyborg gave Robin a sad look. "Sorry it took so long but I wasn't expecting to need any medical supplies on a pizza trip."

Robin dismissed his friend's apology immediately. They had all been taken by surprise. "It's alright. What do you think about Terra?"

Terra's name caused Cyborg's face to darken considerably. "From what I had a chance to see, it doesn't look like there is anything physically wrong with her. I'd have to guess something happened that made her just… shut down. There's no telling when she's going to snap out of it. Listen man I…" Cyborg looked away from Robin unsure if he should continue.

"Cyborg," Robin spoke up. "I need you to tell me everything you can about the situation, ok? I trust you."

"I don't think the Teen Titans it the right place for Terra."

Robin observed Cyborg with neither outrage nor surprise. In truth… he had been thinking the same thing. But now the question came to mind, why did Cyborg think so? "Explain," Robin ordered.

"Man, not only did she disobey a direct order from you, our leader, but then she went and even got Beast Boy almost killed! Not to mention, unless there's another super hero out there with the ability to turn people into stone, she also killed a civilian. The Titans don't hurt innocents." Cyborg explained himself. "And even more," Cyborg paused, "we don't kill."

Robin nodded his head in agreement. It was one of their most crucial rules. Not to mention Cyborg was reaffirming everything he had been thinking of himself.

"And man… just look at her. She doesn't have the heart to be a hero. We should help her and find a way she can have a better life. A normal life. She's not cut out for this, Robin, and we shouldn't let her keep trying. It will destroy her."

Hearing his friend's words, Robin sighed, his eyes cast downward. He knew he was right. He knew that logically thinking, Cyborg was making the right call… but that didn't make it the easy one. "I'll talk to her once she's… calmed down," Robin conceded. It was going to suck, and most likely end up with Beast Boy mauling him but it had to be done.

"Let's get everyone packed up and get back to the Tower. I think everyone deserves a rest after today," Robin ordered, walking past Cyborg and out into the street. "I know I do…" he sighed wistfully into the sky.

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**A/N: Ok everyone, the next chapter should be up really quick because I'm already almost done! And I just want to that all of you have taken the time to review my story, it really means a lot to me. And I want to thank those of you even more that have been patient with me in terms of Beast Boy and Raven scenes. I know it can be frustrating at times and that's why I want to tell you that my next chapter should make quite a few of you rather happy! At least I hope so.**

**Please Review!**


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